Brokeback Twilight
by Owafree
Summary: Your basic Jacob-Imprints-on-Edward story. Lots of angst. Inspired by the incredible fan made YouTube video by the same name (YouTube user brokebacktwilight). I highly recommend watching it before reading this story. It doesn't align perfectly with the video but I'm happy with the parts that I've managed to include.
1. Chapter 1

Jacob Black paced back and forth by the border, deep in thought. Despite Sam's instructions that he patrol the area, Jacob was in his human form and far too distracted to even recognize a threat if there had been one lurking nearby. Jacob couldn't focus, his mind raced with thoughts of _him_.

The whole situation was completely ludicrous of course, and Jacob desperately wished that he could take back the events from that afternoon when he had visited Bella at her house in Forks. _He_ had been there of course. How was Jacob supposed to know that his world would get flipped upside down just from a mere _glance_ in _his_ direction? It was just as Sam had described it. All of a sudden, the only thing anchoring Jacob to the earth was _him_.

At first, Jacob had been too shocked to do or say anything. Bella had looked concerned as if anticipating a fight, while _his_ eyes—those horrible, beautiful, _terrible_ topaz eyes—had widened in disbelief at the thoughts that were suddenly running a mile a minute in Jacob's head. _Imprint…leech…need…oh fuck_. At the realization that _he_ could hear everything going through his mind, Jacob had panicked, tearing off back to La Push and leaving his motorcycle in Bella's driveway. He had phased without thinking, the shock and horror of what had happened pushing him to transform.

Almost immediately the thoughts of his pack mates bombarded him, and he realized his mistake a second too late. Before anyone had the chance to even identify where he was Jacob had shifted back, taking the long way home to avoid running across any of their paths should they try to intercept him.

His efforts were all for naught, however. When he burst through his front door, still stumbling into a pair of dirty jeans he had snagged off the porch, he was confronted with the image of Sam Uley sitting at his kitchen table, patiently waiting for him. There were two steaming cups of tea sitting in front of him. He gestured to the chair next to him.

"Sit, Jacob." Jacob obeyed the alpha's command without a second thought, though he was terrified of what Sam had to say to him. Was he about to be banished from the pack? Exiled from La Push? He opened his mouth about to defend himself when Sam calmly raised his hand, silencing him. "Calm down, Jacob," Sam commanded softly. Jacob felt the tension leave his body. "Have some tea." Jacob reached for the cup and took a careful sip, his eyes not leaving Sam's face. The older man took a sip from his own cup as well, studying Jacob's face carefully. There was quiet for a few more seconds before he began to speak. "It appears we have quite the dilemma on our hands," he said, still quiet. Jacob snorted at the gross understatement, but didn't say anything. "We will, of course, have to arrange a meeting with the Cullens." Jacob's eyes widened at this.

"You're not kicking me out?" he asked, incredulous. Sam gave him a disappointed frown.

"Honestly Jacob. You're family. And an Imprint is beyond our control, as evidence by my own experience with it," Sam's face soured a bit at this before he composed himself once more. "No, you are not going to be kicked out of our pack. I will not deny that it does prove to be a bit of a complication, given our history with their coven. However, I believe their leader is not without reason. I think we could come to some sort of accord." He took another measured sip from his tea.

"I don't want to 'come to an accord'. I want it gone."

"If only it were so simple," Sam replied with a wry grin. Jacob growled in frustration. "Jacob, this is not something you will be able to fight. It will only cause you pain and misery if you try. Our best option is to meet with the coven and revise the truce so that you both can travel easily between our territories. Tomorrow we shall meet them at the border to discuss everything." Sam stood, seeming to think the matter quite settled. Jacob lashed out, gripping tightly on Sam's sleeve and looking up at Sam pleadingly. However, there was nothing the alpha could do to fix the turmoil raging inside of Jacob. He rested a reassuring hand on Jacob's shoulder. "This must have happened for a reason, Jacob. You wouldn't have Imprinted on him if it wasn't meant to work out…somehow." With that, Sam took his leave. Before stepping out, however, he turned back to look over his shoulder, "Patrols tonight," he reminded him, before closing the door quietly behind him.

Jacob slumped in his seat, his tea gone cold. What a mess. He was glad to have Sam's support, but the whole situation just seemed so _wrong_. Jacob had no clue how this situation was supposed to play out, but he had a feeling it wouldn't be easy. Not easy at all.

Two hours later and here he was, refusing to phase and pacing at the border. His mind was no less rattled than it had been when Sam left, his uncertainty and fear winding him up and making him more and more agitated. There was a rustle in the bushes and Jacob looked to see Leah's wolf ambling towards him, a clearly amused glint in her eye.

"Don't," he warned, knowing that it was useless. Leah was a bitch and he knew she was going to milk this for all it was worth. However, he wasn't going to make it easy for her and stubbornly remained in human form. She couldn't mock him if he wasn't in the mind link. He almost sighed in relief when she stalked back to the bushes but his anxiety came back tenfold when she re-emerged dressed and in human form.

"You know, in a funny kind of way, this is pretty perfect isn't it?" Jacob turned to her, eyebrow raised in question. "Bella's going to flip," she said gleefully and Jacob groaned. _Bella_. His best friend. A girl whom, until _very_ recently, Jacob had believed he loved.

"This isn't going to end well," was all he said in reply before continuing his pacing. Leah fell into step next to him.

"Imprinting rarely does, it seems," she said quietly. Jacob glanced over at her.

"I was expecting far more ribbing from you." Leah shrugged.

"This is sure to provide some entertainment. It's been incredibly boring around here with the Cullens being so well behaved and no rogues creeping around. I'll be sure to bring some popcorn tomorrow." With that, she went back to the bushes where she undressed before phasing back again. She took one last look at Jacob before turning and running off back into the woods. Jacob sighed and turned back to the border, staring off into the darkness of the woods in the Cullens' territory. What a mess.

* * *

When Jacob awoke the next morning, he had a few blissful seconds of oblivion before he remembered what had transpired the day before. He groaned, rolling over and wishing he could just stay in bed all day. He didn't want to get up, didn't want to phase, didn't want to face _him_ so soon. Unfortunately he had to do all three, and he rolled out the comfort of his sheets, carelessly grabbing a pair of jeans and foregoing a shirt. He was going to be in wolf form anyway, might as well make the load he had to carry lighter.

He entered the kitchen cautiously, praying that he wouldn't have to face his father yet. However, Billy Black was seated at the table, turning to look at Jacob. There was silence for a moment before his father spoke up.

"This can't be easy for you, Jacob," he said kindly, albeit somewhat gruffly.

"You know Dad, it's really _really_ not. But it is what it is." Jacob shrugged, resigned to his fate. Although he wouldn't really know what that fate would be until the pack met with the coven at the border. Jacob didn't know _him_ enough to guess how he would react to all of this, and decided that fretting over it would only start up a panic. With a nod to his father, Jacob left the house, phasing on his front porch. Voices assaulted his brain immediately.

 _'Well look who finally decided to wake up'_

 _'You Imprinted on a leech?!'_

 _'I do not envy you, man'_

 _'A goddamn fucking_ leech?! _'_

 _'Shut up Paul. Jake, we're almost to the border. Hurry up.'_

 _'I'm coming, I'm coming.'_

Jacob dashed through the trees, dread washing over him as he got closer and closer to the border. When he was about three miles out, he smelt it. The sickeningly sweet stench of vampire assaulted his nose and he sneezed, trying to rid his senses of it, to no avail. Indeed, the closer he got the stronger the smell became and before he knew it he was arriving at the cluster that was his pack, a wall of fur shielding him from what was on the other side of the border. Determined not to play the coward, Jacob wove through the bodies of the other wolves until he was shoulder-to-shoulder with Sam.

For the first time since his revelation yesterday, Jacob came face-to-face with _him_. The vampire who had started this whole mess. The one who was responsible for the chaos and havoc that roiled inside of him.

Edward fucking Cullen.

"Hello to you too, Jacob," Edward said, neither his voice nor face giving away any emotion. It wasn't until a second voice spoke up that Jacob realized Edward was not alone. The doctor was here as well, though Jacob hadn't even noticed him when he first arrived.

 _'Only got eyes for Cullen, eh Jakey?'_

 _'Piss off, Leah'_

Edward smirked before returning to his cool, impassive expression.

"Hello Jacob," the doctor greeted cordially before turning back to Sam's hulking form. "What can we do for you?"

"Jacob has Imprinted," Edward spoke up, "…on me." The doctor looked confused.

"Imprinted?"

"Apparently Imprinting is some sort of soul-mate-seeking mechanism in the wolves' DNA," Edward explained.

 _'YOU ARE NOT MY SOUL MATE!'_ Jacob roared his thoughts at Edward, who merely quirked an eyebrow at his outrage before turning back to Carlisle.

"It has caused quite a stir amongst the wolves, as it's hardly normal for them to Imprint on vampires," Edward continued, translating Sam's thoughts for the doctor.

"I see," the doctor replied before turning to Jacob. "How can we make this as easy as possible for you, Jacob?"

 _'Piss off'_ Jacob received a glower from Edward and he cowed under the gaze, feeling suddenly ashamed. An uncomfortable tightness started to form in his chest.

 _'Already whipped like a little bitch, eh?'_

 _'I will murder you, Paul'_

 _'Quiet'_ Sam ordered, then turned his attention to Edward and the doctor, _'We would like to revise the terms of the treaty. As Jacob's Imprint, Edward is allowed full access to the La Push territory'_

Edward relayed this information to the doctor, who looked thoughtful.

"I'm surprised you would allow it, considering our history. This Imprinting must be quite serious if you're willing to adjust the treaty so drastically."

 _'Edward is a member of the pack, vampire or not. In addition to his immunity from the treaty, he is also under our protection'_

Edward snorted at this, clearly finding the wolves' presumption to "protect" him to be laughable. He translated Sam's thoughts to the doctor, omitting the second half of it. The doctor smiled.

"Jacob is welcome to come to ours as well. I extend the same offer to all of you, as long as the intentions of your visits are civil." He focused back on Sam, "I would like to discuss this Imprinting in greater depth at some point." Sam offered only a stiff nod at this before turning to leave, his job done. Jacob and the rest of the pack made to follow after him.

"Jacob wait," Edward piped up. The wolf stopped in his tracks, damning himself for so immediately following the command. He turned to see Edward's amused expression. The vampire looked down thoughtfully at the invisible line that separated his coven's territory from La Push, before stepping over it and coming to stand next to Jacob. When he saw that none of the other wolves were making a move to attack him, he turned to Jacob and grinned. Jacob's breath hitched at the sight. He had been trying to ignore his own reactions to Edward so as to keep as little information as possible from his Imprint's mind-reading ability. However, having that radiant grin directed at him made his stomach flutter and he suddenly understood why humans found vampires so irresistible.

"Irresistible am I?" Edward remarked cheekily. Jacob shook his head, attempting to clear his mind and push all thoughts of Edward into a mental box to lock away before turning from the vampire to stalk off. He was determined to go home and crawl back into bed. He was surprised to notice Edward keeping in step with him, clearly intending to follow.

 _'Can I help you?'_

"Now that you mention it, yes. I'd like to know more about this Imprint. Perhaps you could enlighten me." Jacob snorted.

 _'Perhaps not. Go away.'_

"Jacob, stop." There was an edge to Edward's voice and Jacob froze, seemingly unable to move. Damnit, another command. Jacob turned furious eyes on Edward, who merely smirked in response. "So I seem to have some degree of control over your actions. Interesting." He took a step closer to Jacob who, due to the order, could not move away.

 _'Won't Bella wonder where you are?'_ Jacob tried to distract Edward from trying to investigate the Imprint. That was just too embarrassing to handle right now. Edward stiffened at Jacob's comment.

"Bella is currently with Alice at the house. She knows where I am."

 _'Well, better not keep her waiting. Run along home bloodsucker.'_ Jacob's head started aching, a faint pounding echoing in his ears. He couldn't be around Edward right now. Not with all the volatile thoughts flying through his brain. He needed to get away from the mind-reader so he could just sit down and _think_.

"Fine, wolf." Jacob winced. Edward's voice was cold and indifferent. "I will be back however. Don't think you can hide this from me for long." With that, Edward turned on his heel and headed back towards his side of the border. Jacob bounded away before Edward had the chance to change his mind and order him to stay put again. He raced home, trying to ignore the inquisitive thoughts of his pack mates and the mounting panic that was building inside his chest.

When he arrived at the house, he phased back and quickly entered the front door. He didn't bother to see if his father was home before speeding down the hall to his room, closing the door behind him.

The pain hit him all at once, like a punch through the chest. Shame and regret flowed through him at his treatment of his Imprint. Jacob fought the urge to run back and apologize profusely for being so rude. Fire coursed through his veins and he let out a startled scream at the sharp pounding in his head. Jacob heard a voice muttering pitifully, before he realized that it was _his_ voice.

"Sorry sorry I'm sorry—oh god—please! I'm sorry! Sorry sorry sorry SORRY!" Jacob was vaguely aware of his bedroom door being opened and felt strong hands guiding him to his bed. He continued to thrash and writhe, gripping at his head and chest, the agony unbearable.

Jacob heard voices but couldn't register what was being said, his only focus on the feeling of his heart constricting tightly before expanding, crushing against his ribs and forcing air from his lungs. He gasped desperately, the lack of oxygen making the pain in his head worse. A howling sounded in the distance; the sound pierced his brain and made lights pop in his vision. He was going to die. He was going to die in absolute agony because he had been too pigheaded to even think about how the Imprint would react to his less-than-kind words to Edward.

"So…rry…" he choked out painfully, before whimpering as another onslaught of fire boiled his blood. His vision started to darken and he knew he was dying. He wanted to succumb to the darkness, at least then the pain would stop.

Suddenly, something cold and hard pressed against his forehead and to Jacob's relief, the pain in his head lessened. He whimpered and nuzzled into whatever it was, hoping it would cease the fire in his veins and the pain in his chest.

"Sorry…so sorry…I'm sorry…please," he muttered.

"It's ok…don't worry. Everything's all right. Just relax." The voice was like a soothing ointment, and Jacob felt the last dredges of pain melt away. He sighed in relief as the cold stone caressed his forehead and pushed back his sweat-soaked hair. Jacob cracked his eyes open and saw a pale blurry figure hunched over him. He knew instantly that it was Edward. "That's right. I'm here. You're going to be ok."

"Sorry…I'm sorry…" Jacob rasped, reaching up to grip at the stone resting on his temple. Oh, it was a hand. Edward's hand. Jacob held it tightly before bringing it to his chest. He felt fingers rubbing gently over his heart and he sighed in contentment.

"Everything is going to be all right, Jacob," was the last thing the boy heard before he succumbed to unconsciousness .


	2. Chapter 2

Jacob swam in and out of consciousness. When he first woke up it was like the worst hangover he had ever had. There was a faint pounding in his temples and he felt sick to his stomach. He groaned in discomfort before sleep mercifully overcame him again.

The second time he was awake for only a matter of seconds. He heard voices murmuring quietly to each other, but he couldn't tell who was speaking. He whined at the throbbing in his head before the comforting feeling of cold stone pressed against his temple again. He quickly fell back into unconsciousness.

The third time Jacob came to, he was feeling much better. The pain in his head was gone and his stomach felt much more settled. He cracked open his eyes, slowly sitting up.

"Well that was and enlightening experience," a smooth voice spoke from the corner of Jacob's room and he snapped his eyes over to see Edward seated at Jacob's desk, looking at him thoughtfully.

"What happened?"

"You had a….reaction," Edward said, looking away.

"What kind of reac—" parts of it started to come back to him. The pain, like his body was trying to tear itself apart and set itself on fire at the same time, had been overwhelming. He had been sure that he was going to die. All because of—"Edward I'm so sorry! Please forgive me! I'm sorry, so so sorry. I'll never talk to you like that again I promise!" Jacob pleaded, sobs wracking his body. He buried his face in his hands, half-ashamed at how pathetic he sounded and grateful that Edward hadn't abandoned him. He froze suddenly as a cold hand rested on his back and he looked up to see Edward perched on the edge of his bed, concern in his eyes.

"Don't worry about it," he responded, his hand rubbing soothing circles on his back. "I forgive you." Those appeared to be the magic words because all the tension left Jacob's body and he sighed in relief. "This Imprinting business is some pretty heavy stuff, huh?" Jacob snorted in response.

"I'll go tell everyone you're awake," Edward said, rising from the bed. Jacob wanted to protest but before he could even get the words out, Edward was out the door. Jacob shook his head, trying to shake the feelings of neediness that had overcome him at Edward's touch.

Sam and Billy entered the room, and Jacob was disappointed to see that Edward wasn't following behind them.

"Gave us quite a scare there, Jake," his dad grumbled, though he looked relieved to see Jacob awake and not in pain. Jacob looked to Sam, who gave him a wry smile.

"I remember when I tried to fight the Imprint at first," Sam said, "I didn't want to believe that my feelings could change so quickly. I gave my best effort at staying with Leah but the Imprint was having none of it. Kicked my ass."

"How long was I out?" Jacob asked, noticing the rising sun peaking through the clouds from his window.

"Two days," Sam replied. Jacob let out a low whistle.

"All because of some rude words?"

"Imprinting isn't a joke, Jake. It's in your DNA. It's a part of who you are. To fight it is to fight your inner wolf. It tears you up from the inside out. We were lucky to get a hold of Edward as quickly as we did. You had a matter of minutes before it would have burned you up."

Jacob gulped, thankful that Edward had forsaken their earlier argument in favor of helping Jacob.

At that moment, Edward stuck his head into the room. "Now that I know you're feeling better, I should really get going. I have school." And with a small nod in Jacob's direction, he turned and left, without even saying goodbye. Jacob's shoulders slumped at the twinge of rejection. Sam seemed to notice.

"It's all a process Jacob. Don't worry too much about it. Things will work out." Jacob nodded in response, not truly believing Sam's words.

"I'm, uh, gonna shower. I stink." With that, he stood up, stripping off his sweat-soaked jeans before heading to the bathroom. He had a lot to think about.

* * *

Jacob watched from the seat of his motorcycle as students started emptying out of Forks High School. His eyes narrowed when he spotted the familiar copper-colored hair, and frowned when he saw how close Bella was clinging to Edward, a happy smile on her face.

When the pair caught sight of Jacob, their reactions couldn't have been more different. Edward froze, eyes wide as if he couldn't believe that Jacob would actually come here. Bella, however, grinned widely before rushing over to Jacob and flinging her arms around him. He inhaled her familiar scent, though it didn't make his heart ache the way it used to. Jacob held her in a bear hug before looking up and seeing the glower Edward was throwing his way. He hastily stepped away from Bella, who was oblivious to the boys' silent exchange.

"How have you been, Jake? I haven't seen you since you ran off the other day. Is everything ok? You seemed pretty shaken up." Jacob raised an eyebrow at Edward.

"You didn't tell her?"

"Just leave it alone Jacob," Edward was clearly trying to keep control of himself. His hands clenched into fists and he glared warningly at Jacob. Bella looked between the two of them, confused.

"Tell me what?" she asked. Edward looked to her, not answering.

"She has a right to know," Jacob narrowed his eyes at Edward. He couldn't believe the vampire hadn't told his girlfriend about the Imprint.

"Wait what?" Bella's confusion was making Jacob angrier.

"I've Imprinted, Bella," Jacob said, before Edward could do something stupid like order him to keep quiet. He avoided the vampire's gaze, knowing that one look at those eyes and he'd be forced to shut up.

"That's great, Jake! What's the problem with that?" she seemed happy for him but still not catching on to the bigger picture.

"I Imprinted on Edward," Jacob said before he could give Edward the chance to intervene. He heard the vampire growl his displeasure but it was out, and the words couldn't be taken back. Bella looked shocked, her mouth hanging open as she glanced between Jacob and Edward. She turned to her boyfriend, glaring.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she demanded. Jacob saw the signs of Bella's infamous temper starting to come out. Edward glared at Jacob before he turned to her.

"I was trying to protect you."

"Protect me from _what_ exactly? This isn't something you can just keep from me, Edward!" Other students were starting to look over, clearly thinking some sort of fight was about to break out. The tension in the air was palpable.

Edward refused to reply to Bella, choosing instead to fix his glare back on Jacob, who felt the effects of the Imprint as he was forced to back down. The message in Edward's eyes was clear: _Leave._

Edward nodded once as he read Jacob's thoughts, indicating that Jacob should do just that. Unable to resist the command, Jacob turned and got back on his bike.

He took one last look at the couple, feeling slightly guilty about the fight between them that he had probably just sparked. He didn't want to make Bella upset. But another part of him, the wolf, growled happily at the idea of a rift opening up between the two. Edward's eyes narrowed at that and Jacob gulped, a trickle of fear sliding down his spine. He kicked his bike to life and pealed out, unwilling to push the Imprint any further.


	3. Chapter 3

Jacob was startled awake by the feeling that he was being watched. He looked around in the darkness before his eyes fell upon Edward's pale figure, standing by the open window, looking cross.  
"Erm," Jacob said stupidly, still shaking the fog of sleep from his brain.

"Bella is mad at me," Edward stated bluntly.

"I would apologize if I was sorry but I'm not. She's my best friend, this isn't something I was planning on keeping from her," Jacob replied, refusing to look at Edward as he said it. Out of the corner of his eye, Jacob saw the vampire stalk closer to his bed. Jacob's blood started pounding in his ears as he anticipated the feeling of cold hands. But Edward didn't touch him. Instead, he sat on the edge of the bed and leaned in close, examining Jacob's face.

Jacob felt his heart speed up in response to his Imprint's proximity and couldn't stop the thoughts racing through his head. _'Please, please touch me. Please.'_

For a second, Jacob thought with a thrill that Edward was going to oblige his silent wishes. A white hand came up and hovered next to his cheek. Jacob stopped avoiding Edward's gaze and finally looked into those eyes. And what expressive eyes they were right now. Edward looked intrigued, confused, and a little horrified. Jacob felt like he was locked onto that gaze. He couldn't look away, and wouldn't have if he could. He was mesmerized by how beautiful his Imprint was. The moonlight shone through the window, illuminating Edward's face. He looked like a preternaturally beautiful statue. The effect was only enhanced by the vampire's ability to remain so incredibly, inhumanly still.

"What do you want from me, Jacob?" Edward asked quietly, still not quite touching his cheek. Jacob gulped before answering, almost on autopilot.

"I-it's not about what I want. It's about what _you_ want."

"How so?"

"Well, whatever you want me to be, I will become. Whether it be as a friend, a brother…a l-lover." Jacob leaned back slightly as he said this, still unable to tear his eyes from Edward's. This was so embarrassing. "That's how the Imprint works," he finished before falling silent, refusing to provide any more information than was strictly necessary. He was also worried that if he kept talking he might end up saying something even more humiliating like _"Please be my lover"_ or _"Take me now"_. Good grief.

Jacob was hyperaware of Edward's body almost pressing against his own and he _ached_ to lean into it and let himself be surrounded by that cold perfection.

Edward let out a small gasp at the train of Jacob's thoughts before leaning back completely. Jacob felt suddenly bereft. The longing was still there, burning in his chest. Finally, Edward looked away and Jacob sighed in relief as he was released from the intense staring.

"I already have a lover," Edward said simply. The ache in Jacob's chest twisted tightly, making him wince.

"I know that," Jacob said, somewhat sullenly as he looked down at his hands fisted in the blankets.

"But I could do with a friend," Edward started towards Jacob's open window. Jacob resisted the urge to call after him, beg him to stay. Edward stopped in his tracks as he heard that line of thought, before turning to face Jacob once more. Jacob's breath caught in his chest as that gaze captured him once again. "Can I come back here? Can I come see you tomorrow?" It was the first time Jacob had seen Edward appear slightly nervous, as if he was worried Jacob would deny him. How could he though?

"Of course," Jacob replied quickly, and then flushed at his eager response. He wasn't going to fight the Imprint anymore, but it was still embarrassing to feel his desire to be close to Edward so evident in his speech, in his mind.

Edward nodded once in reply before climbing through the window and then closing it behind him. Jacob sighed and flopped down on his bed. _Friend_. He could be Edward's friend. If it meant he could be close with him, spend time with him, Jacob would do it. He closed his eyes happily, looking forward to his time with Edward the next day.

* * *

Jacob, while knowing that this wasn't meant to be a romantic visit, was still determined to spend their time together with Edward as close as possible. That was why he was waiting at the border, leaning against his motorcycle. He was going to take Edward for a ride on the beach, show him hidden parts of La Push, while speeding along in a pale imitation of the vampire's own speed. His mind swam with sappy images of Edward's arms wrapped tight around his waist, face buried in the crook of Jacob's neck. It was silly to think that Edward would initiate such contact, but Jacob could dream.

He was startled out of his reverie at the sound of Edward's Volvo approaching the border. Jacob quirked an eyebrow. Surely Edward's speed would get him here faster than any car. It seemed so unnecessary. As the car came into view, however, Jacob felt his stomach drop. Edward had brought Bella with him. As Edward parked the car, she waved at him excitedly from her passenger seat, fumbling with the seat belt before staggering out of the car.

"Hey Jake!" she called, unaware at the fury roiling inside of Jacob. He tried to plaster on a smile as she approached him for a hug, though. Over her shoulder, his eyes burned a hole through Edward's windshield until the vampire exited the vehicle gracefully.

 _'What's she doing here?'_ Jacob growled internally, eyes not leaving Edward even as he released Bella from the hug. Oblivious to the silent question, Bella piped up cheerfully.

"Edward explained to me this morning about the different kinds of Imprints that exist. I was relieved to hear that there aren't just romantic bonds. Can you imagine the mess that would have entailed?" she laughed. "I'm glad you two are going to be friends now. It'll make things _so_ much easier."

 _'Quite the opposite, Bella.'_

Edward pretended not to hear that thought before speaking up.

"I thought you and Bella could show me around La Push today. I'm intrigued and eager to explore the land that until recently I've been expressly forbidden from entering." This wasn't fair. Jacob had planned on doing just that, but without Bella in tow. However, he wanted to make Edward happy so Jacob got back on his bike and kicked it to life.

"Follow me to my house, we can go on foot from there." And without a backward glance, he sped off. He might have been going faster than advisable but Jacob was livid. He couldn't believe that Edward would think it was fine to bring Bella along. Jealousy churned in his stomach like bile and he longed to hit something. Jacob had to fight the line of heat that went down his spine, suppressing the urge to phase out of anger.

As he approached his house, Jacob had a sudden childish urge to veer off and speed away, forcing Edward to chase after him. He squashed that idea immediately though. He wasn't going to risk displeasing the Imprint and, despite his anger at Bella's unfortunate presence, Jacob desperately wanted to spend some time with Edward.

Jacob rolled the bike into his garage before going to meet Bella and Edward in front of the house.

"Don't you own a shirt?" Edward asked, looking pointedly at Jacob's bare chest.

"Don't need one," Jacob replied, smugly stretching his arms to discreetly show off his muscles. "Let's head to the beach shall we?" With that, Jacob loped an arm around Bella's shoulders, not checking to see if Edward would follow. He knew that he would.

Edward and Bella's visit made for an odd afternoon. Edward stayed quiet, nodding here and there as Bella pointed out some of her favorite places in La Push. Jacob never removed his arm from her shoulders, knowing that as long as he held onto her Edward would follow. He felt a little guilty using Bella as bait for her boyfriend but Jacob was still a bitter that Edward had brought her along in the first place.

If Jacob hadn't been so hyperaware of Edward's silent presence following behind them, he could have pretended that it was just another day from all those months ago, after Edward had left Bella and she started spending her time with Jacob. He had started to fall in love with her during those days together, and had reveled in her company. It was bizarre how much had changed now. He still loved her dearly, but she didn't hold a candle to Edward.

Jacob heard the vampire's amused chuckle from behind them and he smirked in response, happy to have made Edward laugh—even just a little.

Later, as Jacob and Edward watched Bella collecting flat stones and attempting to skip them across the shallows at the beach, he turned to his Imprint.

"Why did you bring her?" he asked. He wasn't as angry as he had been earlier. He liked spending time with Bella. She was his best friend. But he couldn't stop the pang of hurt at the thought that Edward didn't want to be alone with him. Edward shook his head in response to Jacob's thoughts.

"You said that if I need you to just be a friend, then that's what you would be. I brought Bella because I need you to understand that she is my girlfriend, and you are my friend. I don't want those roles getting confused."

"I could have been just your friend without her here," Jacob grumbled sourly.

"Really Jacob? Is that what you had in mind when you planned a romantic motorcycle ride along the beach?" Damn mind reader. Jacob blushed furiously at his initial plans being found out.  
"I didn't—that wasn't—" This was so humiliating. His shoulders slumped in defeat. "I just want to be close to you. I want you to like me. I want you to _want_ to spend time with me. I want to get to know who you are, your likes and dislikes. I just…I just want to know you." He was met with silence and the two continued to watch Bella try—and fail—to skip the last of her stones. She turned towards the two boys and smiled brightly before coming to join them.

"It's so nice watching you two interact without so much hostility," she teased. "The tension between you two was so unbearable. I was always on guard for a fight to break out. This is nice." ' _Oh Bella, if only you knew how much tension still hangs between us, even if it's no longer hostile._ '

Edward looked sharply at Jacob before putting his arm around Bella's shoulders.

"We should be getting back. School tomorrow." Jacob swallowed down the acid of jealousy and nodded, leading the way back to the house. How was he supposed to do this? How was he supposed to watch his Imprint shower affection and love on someone else? It was just too much. Jacob made a mental note to go ask Sam for advice. He needed help with this, it was too painful to do alone.


	4. Chapter 4

"Hey Emily," Jacob greeted as the woman gestured him into the house. She shooed him over to the table before plopping down a large platter of chicken in front of him. "Thanks," he said, taking a leg and digging in. "Is Sam here?" he asked between bites.

"He should be home any minute," a beat of silence and then, "How are you holding up Jacob?"

"I'm having a hard time deciding whether or not it's harder than I thought it would be," he grumbled, appetite suddenly gone as he remembered his awkward non-date with Bella and Edward earlier. Before Emily could respond, Sam came into the kitchen. Jacob watched enviously as Sam placed a kiss on Emily's scarred cheek and wrapped her in a hug. He quickly wiped his undoubtedly sour expression off his face as Sam turned to him.

"How's it going Jake?" Sam asked, although he could probably guess the answer just from looking at him.

"Oh, you know, fantastic," Jacob mumbled sarcastically. A look passed between Sam and Emily before she muttered something about laundry and left the room. Sam sat down across from Jacob and looked at him expectantly. Jacob caved.

"It's just so _hard_ Sam. I mean, Edward wants me to be his friend and believe me I'm thrilled he even wants to have anything to do with me. But these aches and these feelings…they're tearing me up inside!" Jacob swallowed down the lump in his throat and blinked away the tears that threatened to spill over. "I just feel so lost. I don't know what to do with myself."

Sam's expression was unreadable. "So, despite Edward's claims that he only wants you to be there as his friend, you still have a desire to be with him? Romantically?"

Jacob nodded miserably, hanging his head and feeling quite pathetic now that he heard his own feelings voiced out loud.

"That's quite odd. If Edward only wanted you as a friend, then you should only be having platonic feelings towards him. You become what your Imprintee needs you to be. I can guarantee you that Quil doesn't have romantic feelings towards Claire." Sam looked pensive. "Are you sure he only wants you to be his friend?"

Jacob's head snapped up at that, looking both shocked and little hopeful.

"He made that abundantly clear when he brought _Bella_ over to visit this afternoon," Jacob sneered. He didn't feel any ill will towards Bella, truly. She had done nothing wrong. But her position in the whole situation was unfortunate. Sam pursed his lips in thought.

"Perhaps…perhaps Edward isn't being wholly truthful about how he feels towards you," Sam said quietly, yet firmly. Jacob didn't want to get his hopes up, he really didn't. But the thought that there was even the tiniest possibility that Edward felt for him just a fraction of what Jacob felt sent his heart into overdrive.

"Sam, you can't just _say_ things like that," Jacob pleaded miserably.

"I don't want to instill hope where there is none. But if you feel romantically towards him then that is a reflection of what he needs from the Imprint. If he truly— _truly_ —wanted to just be your friend, then your feelings would be purely platonic. I think there's more going on here than he is letting on. Just give it time. Give _him_ time. My guess is he's still sorting out how he feels about this whole thing." Sam's words only made that faint glimmer of hope burn brighter in Jacob's chest and he suddenly ached to be near Edward. He stood from the table.

"Thanks Sam. Really. Tell Emily thanks for the food. I'll see you later," with that, Jacob left, determined to talk to Edward and ask just what he thought he was doing.

* * *

Jacob didn't dare get too close to the Cullens' house. He knew that they could probably smell him already and he didn't want to set up the alarm in case they perceived his presence as a threat. He also didn't want Edward to find him before Jacob figured out what he wanted to say. He couldn't exactly outright accuse Edward of having more-than-friendly feelings for him, especially if he ended up being wrong about the whole thing. Jacob wasn't even sure if he wanted to confront Edward about it tonight anyway. Truth be told, he just wanted to be closer to him. Jacob could smell Edward's scent all around the Cullens' property. It was intoxicating. Still sickening sweet, but there was a comfort that came along with it.

"Well I'm glad that I don't smell as bad as the wolves have let on," a voice murmured amusedly from the darkness. Jacob whipped around. _'Shit. Edward.'_

"And here I thought you'd be happy to see me," Edward said as he emerged from the shadows and approached Jacob, amused smirk firmly in place.

"You, er, weren't supposed to know I was here," Jacob grumbled, displeased at having been found out. Edward snorted.

"That's likely. I could smell you from miles off. Your scent is very distinct." Jacob wasn't sure why that made his heart flutter in pleasure but he chose to ignore it in favor of confronting the vampire before him.

"What do you want from me?" Jacob asked bluntly, deciding to not beat around the bush.

"Unswerving loyalty," Edward replied sarcastically, clearly still amused at Jacob's embarrassment at having been caught snooping around the property.

"I'm serious. Sam says I shouldn't be feeling…this way if you truly just wanted to be friends and nothing more." Jacob was feeling unusually brave in the face of his Imprint, the new information Sam had revealed providing a surge of courage.

"That's ridiculous. I'm with Bella. I love Bella." Edward's voice was cool and impassive, almost robotic. Jacob was starting to associate that tone of voice with the feeling that Edward was trying to hide something from him. He didn't like it.

"Why don't you tell me the truth? It's just us out here. I have a right to know if you're jerking me along and being dishonest about your feelings."

"You have no such right. I didn't _ask_ for this Imprint. I didn't ask for this…this _complication_ to my life." All right, that stung a bit. Actually, it stung a lot. Jacob didn't like feeling that he was a burden to Edward. He wanted to make Edward happy, to give him what he needed. Edward huffed at Jacob's thoughts. "What I _need_ is for you to realize that nothing romantic will ever happen between us. My future rests with Bella. You're more than welcome to join that future, but only as a friend. Nothing more." Edward's voice was adamant. Jacob's shoulders slumped in defeat.

"Okay, if that's how you truly feel—" Edward nodded, "—right, I'll just...er…" He turned to leave, preparing to phase.

"Jacob, wait." Jacob inwardly cursed at his automatic obedience to the command. All he wanted to do was run home and crawl under his sheets. He refused to turn and face Edward. Looking at him hurt too much right now. He felt Edward approaching him and Jacob held his breath, damning his heart for beating so loudly, knowing that the vampire could hear it.

"Please, don't," he begged pitifully, "Don't come any closer. I can't handle it right now." Edward stopped, mere inches away. Jacob couldn't tell if he wanted Edward pressed up against him or on the other side of the clearing.

"Please look at me." Jacob sighed as he was forced to obey the command, turning to face the breathlessly beautiful man before him, wanting nothing more than to lunge at him and kiss those undoubtedly cold lips. Edward raised his hand, reaching towards Jacob's face. Jacob was struck with déjà vu, recalling the night Edward had snuck into his room. However, this time, Edward's palm came into contact with Jacob's cheek and he thought he would explode from the feeling of the cold hand touching him. Jacob was sure that not even heaven could compare to this, this closeness with his Imprint.

Edward stepped closer, their bodies now inches apart as his thumb stroked Jacob's cheek and his topaz eyes searched his face. Once again, Jacob was struck with the thought that maybe Edward was about to kiss him. The vampire leaned in, and Jacob's eyes fluttered close. He felt cool breath ghost across his lips as Edward whispered his name, " _Jacob."_

"What's the mutt doing here Edward?" a pretty voice asked nastily from somewhere in the direction of the house. Both boys froze and Edward slowly turned around. Jacob studied the beautiful blonde vampire that stood before them. She had a cruel sneer on her face as she took in the no-doubt scandalous looking scene. Edward quickly stepped away before clearing his throat.

"Jacob, meet my sister, Rosalie Hale. Rosalie, this is—"

"I know who he is. He's the one stirring up trouble over in La Push. The one you keep sneaking off to visit in the middle of night." Rosalie didn't even look at Jacob, her focus trained on Edward, her face curled in a smirk of unsuppressed glee. "Does Bella know you're out here Edward? Isn't this usually the time you go sneak in through her window to watch her sleep?" Edward stiffened at that, taking another step away from Jacob, who suddenly decided that he hated Rosalie.

"I was just about to head inside," Edward replied, voice stilted and cold. Jacob inwardly despaired at the sound of that indifferent voice.

"I'm sure," Rosalie replied before turning on her heel and heading back to the house.

Once she was out of sight, Edward sighed and turned back to Jacob.

"I'm sorry about her, she's a bit…harsh."

"Yeah, no kidding," Jacob replied sourly. He was bitter at having a potential moment with Edward ruined so abruptly.

"I should probably head back," Edward said, though it was obvious he was dreading it. Jacob nodded morosely.

"Can I see you tomorrow?" he asked, feeling utterly pathetic for seemingly the hundredth time since the Imprint started.

"Of course. Bella and I will come by after school," Edward replied coolly. Jacob wanted to protest. He wanted to kick and scream and tear his hair out in frustration. But he did none of that. Instead, he nodded stiffly at Edward before turning to leave, phasing mid-run. He didn't stop running until he was in front of his house.

As Jacob lay in bed waiting for sleep to take him, he let his mind wander. He thought about Edward, about the sound of his voice and the scent of his skin, the way he looked and the way that he moved. Jacob let himself become immersed in thoughts of his Imprint, and the effect was dizzying.

Jacob eventually fell asleep with the scene from earlier that night playing over and over in his head. He could almost feel the coldness of Edward's hand on his cheek, could almost taste the sweetness of his breath as it ghosted across his lips. And despite how frustrated and angry he had been earlier, Jacob fell asleep with a smile on his face.

That was the first night that Jacob dreamt of Edward.

 _Cold lips, hard as stone, pressed against his throat. Jacob groaned and threaded his fingers through Edward's hair, holding him close. Strong arms encircled his waist as Edward's weight held Jacob down against the mattress. The lips on his throat moved down to his collarbone, and he both felt and heard Edward breathing in his scent._

 _A cold tongue teased the indent above his collarbone before licking a stripe all the way up his throat to just below his ear. Jacob thrust up against Edward's weight, gasping as he felt another erection meeting his own. The two writhed together, rutting against each other slowly. Jacob felt strong, cold hands gripping his wrists and moving his hands upwards before pinning them on the pillow above Jacob's head. Edward maneuvered himself so he was no longer lying on top of Jacob, but straddling him instead. Jacob gasped and moaned as Edward ground down onto Jacob's hardness._

 _'You're mine_ ,' _Edward whispered in his ear and Jacob nodded vigorously as the words caused him to involuntarily thrust up against his Imprint. Edward took Jacob's earlobe in his teeth and Jacob whimpered, feeling his orgasm build._

 _Jacob let out a whine of protest as Edward stilled his hips and pulled back. 'Look at me Jacob,' Edward's voice ordered and Jacob's eyes flew open and stared hungrily into topaz depths. Edward's face was so close, lips mere inches away._

 _As if reading Jacob's mind—which, Jacob reminded himself, he probably was—Edward leaned in closer, the look in his eyes a fiery intensity, before swooping down and claiming Jacob's lips in a burning kiss. Jacob gasped at the electric shock that coursed through him at the contact and felt his eyes roll back in his head when Edward's tongue sought out his own. It was so icy cold that it almost felt like fire in his mouth. Jacob welcomed all of it, opening up under Edward like a flower.  
Edward's hips starting circling and grinding again and with the added sensation of his lips against his own, Jacob felt himself approaching orgasm with staggering speed. He thrust up once, twice, and then he exploded. _

_'Edward!'_

Jacob shot out of bed, disoriented. It took him a few seconds to realize that he wasn't currently pinned under his favorite vampire and had, indeed, come in his boxers as he had slept. Groaning at the sticky mess, Jacob threw back the covers. He padded over to the door when he felt a slight breeze behind him. Turning quickly, Jacob realized that his window was open, the curtains fluttering. Had he left it open all night? It wasn't a common practice for him. Perhaps he had, unless…

Unless Edward had been here. Momentarily forgetting the mess in his boxers, Jacob rushed to the window, squinting out into the night. Nothing. But of course, if Edward didn't want to be seen then he wouldn't. That is if he had been here at all. Jacob sighed. Choosing to leave the window open for reasons that Jacob didn't wish to examine too closely, he turned towards the bathroom to clean up.

After wiping himself off with a towel and changing into a fresh pair of boxers, Jacob fell into bed. If Edward _had_ been here, then he most definitely would have seen Jacob's dream through his thoughts. Jacob couldn't decide if that idea was more embarrassing or exciting. With his thoughts all the way across the border, Jacob fell into a fitful sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

The next few days were a swirl of heaven and hell for Jacob. Everyday he would spend time with Edward. Every day he would bask in the glow of being near his Imprint. But every day Edward would bring Bella. And every day Jacob was reminded that what he wanted so desperately could never be.

As the weekend drew near, Jacob contemplated asking Edward to forego his visits for a while. He needed a reprieve from watching enviously that which he would never have. But just the very thought of being away from Edward was unbearable. Whenever he wasn't there, Jacob ached for him. It became a constant burning in his chest, and despite his misery at watching Bella and Edward together, day after day he was always eagerly waiting at the border for them to arrive so that he could be in the presence of his Imprint once again.

On Friday, as Jacob was bidding the couple farewell, Edward drew him aside. Bella was waiting patiently in the car, fiddling with the stereo.

"Alice is taking Bella shopping in Seattle tomorrow," Edward said, refusing to meet Jacob's eyes. Jacob hated that. He wished Edward would look at him. Jacob could spend hours lost in those eyes. They were such a fascinating color. He was shaken out of thoughts by an awkward cough.

"Sorry, what?" Jacob felt dazed and a little stupid.

"I said Alice is taking Bella shopping tomorrow. In Seattle," he repeated patiently. Jacob's heart dropped.

"Oh all right. I'll see you on Sunday then." He could spend a day without Edward. Right?

"Actually, I was wondering if you wanted to…that is, I was wondering if I could still come. To see you. Tomorrow." Edward was looking everywhere but Jacob's face. If Jacob didn't know any better, he'd say that Edward was acting a little, well, _embarrassed_.

"I would love that!" Jacob blurted. The idea of a whole day just with Edward sent his heart soaring. He didn't even think to feel embarrassed about his eager reaction. He was too excited.

"Brilliant," Edward said. "Oh! Before I forget…" he reached into his jacket's inner pocket and pulled out a manila envelope, "I wanted to give this to you." He held it out to Jacob, whose mind was racing a million miles a minute. A gift from his Imprint! He took the envelope, handling it carefully.

"Thank you," he said, awestruck. Edward chuckled.

"You don't even know what it is," he said. Jacob shook his head.

"It doesn't matter," he replied, looking into Edward's eyes, " _Thank you_. This…this means so much…" he flushed, looking away as some of the embarrassment started to take hold in his brain. Jacob fought to keep his inner squealing teenage girl under control. "I'll uh…I'll see you t-tomorrow then," he stammered.

"Right. See you tomorrow," Edward said before opening the driver side door of his car and sliding into the seat gracefully.

The silver Volvo was barely out of sight before Jacob was racing into his room, almost slamming the door shut behind him. He stumbled over to his bed, sitting down and looking at the envelope in his hands; hands which started shaking in anticipation and excitement.

Jacob carefully undid the clasp and tilted the envelope into his hand. Two cassette tapes tumbled out. Jacob glanced towards his Walkman tape cassette player, which sat on his desk. Taking a closer look at the tapes, Jacob saw they were labeled. In ridiculously neat cursive writing, one said "Likes", the other "Dislikes". Jacob was confused for a moment before remembering what he had said on the beach during his conversation with Edward on their first awkward threesome non-date, _"I want to get to know who you are, your likes and dislikes."_ Jacob had to take a deep breath to calm himself. All the thoughtfulness that had gone into this was so touching, and so overwhelming.

He rushed over to grab his Walkman before going to lie down on his bed. He chose to play the "Likes" tape first. He put on his headphones and leaned back on his pillow, then pressed "play".

Jacob was swept up in an eclectic mix of jazz, punk rock, progressive metal, and classical music. Lots of classical music. The entire second side of the tape was classical. Jacob recognized a few songs that he knew from listening to his mother's old tapes. Her tapes were the reason he had chosen to buy a tape cassette player as opposed to a CD player. He had wanted to be able to listen to what she had left behind. Jacob had grown to love Tchaikovsky, Chopin, Brahms, and Mozart. Judging from the tape, Edward seemed partial to Tchaikovsky and Mozart, as well as a few others that Jacob didn't recognize but would have to ask about tomorrow. Jacob's heart soared with the swell of a particularly moving piece as he thought about the next day, his first day alone with Edward.

As excited as he was, Jacob was also quite terrified. Over the last few days, Bella had acted as a sort of buffer for whenever there was a lull in the conversation or when Jacob's thoughts took rather inappropriate turns that he was sure would have made Edward blush if he had been human. Without Bella there, it would just be Edward and Jacob in raw form.

Jacob wasn't sure when the chance to be alone with Edward would present itself again, and he wanted to make it a memorable day. He racked his brains for ideas.

Just as he was discarding the idea of a stupidly romantic picnic—reminding himself that Edward didn't _eat—_ the second side of the "Likes" tape ended and Jacob changed it out for the "Dislikes" one without thought. Just as he was pondering the idea of possibly trying the motorcycle idea again, his ears were assaulted with the most horrible sounds he had ever heard. There was what sounded like a banjo being played at great speed and the thick and heavy drawl of a southern accent singing about the Lord. Jacob couldn't hit the "fast forward" button fast enough. When he pressed "play" again, he was thrown in the middle of some 70's funk song. Jacob didn't mind this one as much as the first track and actually listened to it all the way through, before the next track threw him back into another horrible country song.

By the end of the tape, Jacob had come to the conclusion that Edward disliked country, pretty much anything from the 70's, and various mainstream pop songs. Jacob tossed the "Dislikes" tape away and put the "Likes" back in. Jacob went back to contemplating his plans with Edward tomorrow and eventually came upon an idea that he thought was pretty spectacular. He drifted off to sleep as the last track on the first side was coming to a close.

* * *

Determined not to give away his plans, Jacob took to singing the lyrics of the horrible country song that was the first track of Edward's "Dislikes" tape in his head as the vampire made his way to the border, sans Volvo. Edward grimaced and Jacob laughed at the expression on the vampire's face, glad to have found a suitable defense mechanism against his Imprint's mind-reading ability.

"So, judging by your determination to keep me out of your thoughts, I assume you already have a plan for us today?" Edward approached him and Jacob felt that now-familiar swooping sensation he always got in his stomach whenever he saw Edward. Determined not to get sidetracked by his own admiration and fantasies, Jacob took to whistling the tune of the horrid song out loud before gesturing for Edward to follow him into the woods. He could sense the vampire's wariness and inwardly chuckled.

As they approached a clearing, Jacob swiftly turned to face Edward. Making sure to maintain eye contact, Jacob's hands went to his jeans, unbuttoning quickly. Edward's eyes widened.

"Erm, Jake, what do you think you're doing?" Jacob tried to ignore the way his heart stuttered at the sound of Edward calling him by his nickname and whistled even louder as he unzipped. Unwilling to give the vampire a chance to avert his eyes, Jacob pulled down his pants with his boxers in one go, before kicking both to the side. He stood for a moment, smugly enjoying the way Edward's eyes seemed trained on him, roving over his body. Then, in a move that he was sure caught the vampire completely off guard, Jacob phased into his wolf form.

 _'I thought we could go for a run today.'_

"And here I thought you were preparing to molest me right in the middle of this clearing," Edward chuckled. He crouched low for a moment, pinning Jacob with a challenging gaze. "A run sounds fantastic." And then in a flash, he was off. Jacob pelted after him, tongue lolling out as he chased after his Imprint.

Edward's quick movements might have been hard to track in his human form, but as a wolf Jacob could see the vampire dodging clearly between trees, leaping over boulders, bounding up and down hills. Jacob kept on his tail the entire time, and soon he picked up the pace, gaining on him.

Edward sensed his increased speed and matched his own accordingly. Damn, he was fast. With a bit of effort, Jacob managed to pull up next to him and soon they were shoulder-to-shoulder. He turned to face Edward, tongue still lolling out. The vampire grinned back at him and the sight almost made Jacob trip over his own paws. Edward looked so carefree, so happy. Jacob's heart was filled with warmth at the knowledge that he had put that smile there. He was finally doing his job: making his Imprint happy.

So caught up in his thoughts, Jacob didn't immediately notice that Edward had gotten a few paces ahead of him. Unwilling to let him get away, Jacob suddenly pounced.

His front paws hit Edward's back and soon they were rolling, crashing through branches and bushes without feeling them. They came to a stop at the bottom of a hill and Jacob managed to pin Edward underneath him, paws planted firmly on the vampire's chest.

Edward probably could have pushed him off if he wanted but he was too busy laughing. He flung his arms wide in surrender. Jacob's wolf growled lowly in approval at the sign of submission and without thinking, Jacob leaned down and licked Edward's face. Edward stiffened under him.

 _'Er…sorry.'_ Jacob quickly moved a respectable distance away, berating himself for ruining what had been an enjoyable afternoon.

"No, um, don't worry about it," Edward stood and dusted off the dirt from his clothes. "You just caught me by surprise is all."

Despite Edward's reassuring words, Jacob kept his distance. Edward looked at him curiously.

"This may sound like an odd question and let me know if I'm being offensive, but…um…"

 _'Spit it out.'_

"Can…can I…er… _pet_ you?"

 _'Excuse me?'_

"Sorry! I just, your fur looks soft and I was wondering…never mind." Well this was an awkward encounter if Jacob had ever seen one. Edward chuckled at his thoughts. "Yeah, sorry. I understand how weird that sounded now."

 _'No! I mean…no. You can. Pet me that is. If you'd like.'_

"Really?" That curious look was back and Jacob was both nervous and excited to be under such scrutiny.

 _'Yeah. Of course you can.'_

Edward approached him slowly, as if Jacob really was a wild animal and he wasn't sure if he would bite him or not. Stopping in front of him, Edward reached out. He hesitated for a moment and then plunged his fingers in the thick fur behind Jacob's ear. Jacob let out a contented sigh at the cool touch and unconsciously leaned into the hand that was now stroking his fur.

"It's soft," Edward breathed, as if he had just made a scientific discovery.

 _'Not the mangy mutts you thought we were huh?'_

"Oh, trust me, you are _definitely_ a mangy mutt," he smiled before bringing his other hand up to stroke down Jacob's muzzle. "I don't think a vampire has gotten a hand this close to a werewolf's mouth without having it bitten off."

 _'Yeah well I'm still considering it.'_ Jacob enjoyed bantering with Edward. It felt natural, like this was how they were meant to interact. With affectionate touches and barbs about the other's species. Which was truly odd considering the fact that until very recently it would have felt just as natural to rip this same vampire to shreds. But now, with his Imprint so close and touching him so gently—almost reverently—Jacob felt an overwhelming sense of peace. He felt like every moment in his life was leading up to this point in time, when his Imprint would accept him. Jacob wanted to capture the moment so he could enjoy it forever.

"You are not who I thought you were Jacob Black. I'm learning that more and more every day."


	6. Chapter 6

It wasn't until Jacob was once again human and dressed—Edward had averted his eyes this time, much to Jacob's disappointment—that Edward spoke again.

"We should do this again sometime," he said evenly, as if the offer wasn't of any great significance.

"Yeah, we should." Jacob found it increasingly difficult to hide the big stupid grin on his face. "Oh! I meant to ask you. On the 'Likes' tape, I recognized Tchaikovsky and Mozart but who were the other classical music composers?" Edward looked dumbfounded.

"You know Tchaikovsky and Mozart?"

"And Brahms and Chopin. But Mozart is my favorite." Jacob was trying not to snigger at the gob smacked look now gracing Edward's features. It was a good look for him. Jacob would try to achieve it more.

"I can't believe you like classical music."

"Hey! Give me a little credit. I'm not a total meat head." Edward just shook his head in disbelief.

" _Definitely_ not who I thought you were."

"Yeah yeah yeah, I'm sure you're very impressed. Now answer my question. Who were the other composers?"

"Aside from Tchaikovsky and Mozart there was Debussy and some Beethoven. But not very much Beethoven. I liked him more during my dark-and-broody phase." Edward grinned wryly.

"Oh, so that's already over? Could have fooled me," Jacob smirked.

"Keep it up, wolf. See where it gets you."

"On my back hopefully," Jacob muttered quietly, though evidently not quietly enough as Edward did that now-familiar uncomfortable stiffening thing. Jacob wasn't going to apologize though. The run had made him a bit randy.

Edward cleared his throat pointedly. "I should get back. It's getting late. They'll wonder where I am." Jacob tried not to show his disappointment too much.

"Will I see you tomorrow?" Jacob asked.

"I don't think so," Edward said quietly. Jacob felt a surge of panic.

"Look I'm sorry for what I said—" Edward held up a hand, silencing him.

"It's not that. I'm spending the day with Bella tomorrow." Jacob's heart sunk, all the way through the earth as the beautiful illusion that had been building around him all day shattered to pieces. There were a lot of things he wanted to say, but he kept his mouth tightly closed and nodded stiffly.

"Monday then?" he asked, praying that he wouldn't have to go more than a day without Edward's company.

"Definitely," the vampire gave him a small smile before turning and dashing off, his speed taking Jacob's breath away despite having spent the entire day witnessing it. His Imprint was so perfect. So perfect and so _so_ unattainable. Tomorrow was going to be hell, he just knew it.

* * *

Bella watched curiously from her place on the couch as Rosalie descended the stairs with a smug smirk on her face. What had her so chipper?

She was startled when Rosalie headed straight towards her. Usually the blonde avoided her whenever possible.

"I'm so glad that Edward and Jacob have become _so_ close," Rosalie said, "although I don't particularly like the smell of wet dog all over Edward when he comes back every night." With that, she glided out the front door, leaving Bella to ponder her words.

Had Edward been visiting Jacob every night? Bella had always been under the impression that Edward spent his nights with her while she slept. Was he doing that with Jacob now? Bella didn't want to believe it, wanted to tell herself that Rosalie was just yanking her chain and trying to stir up trouble. She trusted Edward. But a small part of her couldn't help but think back on the changes that had come over Edward ever since Jacob had Imprinted.

He seemed distant, stuck in his own head. Bella knew that Imprinting was serious for the wolves but she hadn't expected Edward to be so preoccupied with it. Bella would be talking about one thing or another before realizing that Edward wasn't listening to a single word of it. She had gotten steadily more and more frustrated every afternoon they spent with Jacob. They barely had any alone time together anymore, which was why she had managed to talk Edward into spending the day with just her tomorrow after he had spent all of today with Jacob. Bella didn't want to dwell too much on what her boyfriend and Jacob had gotten up to. She had to keep reminding herself that Edward loved her and wouldn't betray her trust.

Her resolve weakened when Edward came in through the same door Rosalie had exited through only minutes before. He looked…different. Exhilarated. His hair was windswept and his eyes were sparkling. He had that same satisfied smile he would sometimes have after coming back from a hunt. She asked him if he and Jacob had spent the day taking down mountain lions and deer. He smiled slightly.

"No. We actually went for a run. I didn't know the wolves were so fast." He came and sat down next to her, though he maintained a few feet of distance. Did he usually sit so far away from her? Bella couldn't remember. That kind of detail hadn't seemed so significant before the Imprint. But now Bella's mind was in overdrive as she overanalyzed Edward's every word and movement. She struggled to grasp some semblance of control over the situation.

"Can I stay here tonight?" she asked, somewhat shyly. Edward hesitate before answering her.

"I don't know if that's a good idea," he finally said. "Your father isn't exactly thrilled when you spend the night here. He doesn't quite buy the 'sleepover with Alice' story." He looked away and Bella was once again struck with the increasingly familiar thought that he was hiding something from her.

"Oh okay," she said quietly, trying not to let her hurt show too much. She didn't want to be seen as making a big deal out of something that might not even exist. Edward cleared his throat.

"Speaking of which, I should probably take you home. It's getting late." With that, Edward stood before holding out his hand to help her up from the couch. Bella clutched at his hand gratefully, thankful for the contact. That happiness quickly dimmed, however, when his hand dropped hers once she was standing.

He turned towards the front door without another word and she dejectedly followed behind him. Bella had never been more relieved that Edward couldn't read her thoughts.

* * *

Jasper let out an unnecessary breath and stopped reciting Latin poetry in his head once he heard Edward's car pull out of the driveway. That had been a tense encounter. Edward had been distracted and uncharacteristically unobservant as resentment and dejection had rolled off of Bella in waves. He looked sadly at his wife when she entered the room, and relayed to her what he had felt from the couple.

"It's been building up inside Bella since the Imprint started," he explained, "she doesn't trust him as much but she's also angry at herself." He looked at Alice out of the corner of his eye. "Maybe it's time—" he started hopefully before Alice interrupted him.

"Not yet, Jasper. We can't assume that the future is set. Choices can be changed. There's a chance that things won't turn out the way I've seen it." She rested her head on his shoulder and he reached up to gently stroke at her hair.

"Of all the possible outcomes of this situation, I never would have thought that what you saw would ever be possible—for several reasons. But I've found myself getting excited, eager even." He felt a pulse of amusement from his wife.

"You and me both, love. But we can't count on it happening yet. There are still several decisions to be made before it has the chance of becoming a reality."


	7. Chapter 7

Jacob tossed and turned in his sleep Sunday night. He was riding a confusing wave of desire and discomfort. His dreams were riddled with Edward's face, but his body was racked with pain from the prolonged separation. It was hard to believe that he could suffer so much from only one day away from his Imprint. However, Jacob also knew that their connection was tenuous at best. Of course the Imprint would feel threatened by Edward's absence after so many days together.

Jacob was shuddering from the combined pleasure of dream-Edward's cool fingers along his rib cage and the pain that was twisting in his chest when he was startled awake. Sitting up straight in bed, Jacob noticed that his window was open and his heart swelled with hope. He looked wildly about his room and, _aha_ , there was Edward, in that same chair he had occupied during Jacob's… _reaction_.

"Hi," Jacob said breathlessly, the pain in his heart lessened immediately as the Imprint was soothed by Edward's proximity.

"Hello Jacob," Edward said, somewhat formally before clearing his throat. Oh, right. He had probably witnessed Jacob's not-so-innocent dream and the thought made Jacob blush madly.

"Er, what can I do for you?" Jacob asked somewhat awkwardly. What was the protocol for having your non-romantic-but-wanting-to-be-romantic Imprint sneak into your room late at night? Edward chuckled but his face quickly smoothed back into a serious expression.

"I was…having some...ah... _difficulties_ ," he explained. Jacob looked at him confusedly.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Jacob asked, wanting to wipe away the somber expression on Edward's face.

"Just being here is enough I think. It seems that the…separation anxiety…you suffer from affects me as well," he cleared his throat again, looking pointedly at a spot over Jacob's shoulder, refusing to make eye contact.

"Oh," Jacob was both pleased at Edward's apparent need to be near him, and distressed that the Imprint was causing harm to come to Edward. Jacob suddenly felt very guilty.

"There's no need to feel guilty, Jacob. The Imprint is no more in your control than it is in mine. That is one thing I'm slowly coming to realize," Edward seemed a bit bitter as he said this and Jacob was curious as to why that was. Jacob sought to change the subject.

"H-how was your day with Bella? Did you two have a nice time?" Edward grimaced. Oh, so maybe this wasn't such a safe subject change.

"Bella is…being difficult," Edward said. He crossed him arms and scowled, looking somewhat like a petulant child. The sight was utterly adorable.

"Difficult how?" Jacob asked. Clearly he was going to have to pry because Edward did not seem to be very forthcoming about it.

"She requested that I spend less time with you," he muttered. Jacob's heart dropped.

"Why?" It wasn't like Jacob was exactly keeping Edward _from_ her. Aside form yesterday, she always joined Edward in his visits to La Push.

"It appears she feels threatened by you."

"By _me_?" Jacob was confused. Edward was completely devoted to Bella. He didn't stand a chance against her. Jacob had no idea that she was prone to such petty, unfounded jealousy.

"She is unhappy with the amount of time you and I have been spending together," Edward explained.

Jacob didn't know what to say. He was worried about Bella but he also wasn't about to be the one to suggest they put their meetings on hold for a while. He needed Edward too much.

"I wouldn't ask you to do that, Jake," and boy did his heart soar hearing Edward use his nickname again. "And as we've already established, prolonged distance has uncomfortable circumstances for both of us now. Bella will come around. Once she sees there is no threat to my relationship with her, I'm sure she'll be just fine." Despite his words, it sounded like Edward was more trying to convince himself than Jacob.

* * *

Monday afternoon came and Jacob was feeling jittery. He waited by the border next to the two motorcycles he had fixed up for Bella during Edward's time away.

As much as he hated to admit it, Jacob could tell that the strain on Edward and Bella's relationship was making his Imprint unhappy. He also didn't like the idea of Bella being mad at him. So, despite his many reservations on the idea, he had decided the three would go riding today—Bella and Edward on one bike and Jacob on the other. He figured the close proximity between the couple mixed with him keeping his distance should help alleviate some of the tension.

Jacob held his breath as the now-familiar sound of Edward's Volvo approached the border. He couldn't help but compliment Edward—not out loud of course—for how handsome he looked today.

 _'Hey beautiful.'_

Edward looked sharply at him before a small smirk graced his features. It was only there for a moment before his expression returned to stony impassivity. Jacob inwardly cheered at the small victory before turning towards his best friend who was looking not so much angry as nervous. Jacob scooped her into a hug, trying to convey to her how sorry he was for putting a rift between her and her boyfriend. As strongly as Jacob felt for Edward, he was no home wrecker…never mind that he had attempted to steal Bella away from Edward several times in the past. That wasn't the point!

"Hey Jake," Bella mumbled against his chest before gently pulling back. "What's with the bikes?" she eyed the motorcycles with apprehension.

"I figured the three of us could go for a ride today," Jacob replied, straddling his own bike before gesturing for the couple to straddle the other one.

"Hang on," Edward held out an arm, stopping Bella from approaching the bike. He turned to Jacob. "Helmet?" he asked. Jacob snorted.

"Under the seat. Honestly, it's like you don't trust me," he teased. Edward simply rolled his eyes.

Once Bella was satisfactorily armored, the bikes roared to life. Jacob pulled up next to the other bike, throwing a wink to Bella who was clutching onto Edward for dear life. She gave a weak thumbs up before returning her hold to Edward. Without a word, Jacob zoomed off.

 _'Catch me if you can,'_ Jacob taunted in his mind, knowing that Edward could hear. Within seconds he heard the rumbling of the other bike pulling close behind him. Jacob was suddenly reminded of his run with Edward on Saturday, and how now his Imprint was the one chasing him. Smiling happily, Jacob sped up.

* * *

Jacob was lying on his bed, listening to the "Likes" tape for what felt like the thousandth time. He hummed along to every song, and sang along with the ones that had lyrics. He was content. His plan with the motorcycles had been perfect. Bella had been happy and Edward clearly enjoyed zipping down the beach at near-lethal speed. Jacob knew he was never going to have a chance with Edward romantically, but if all their days together could be like today, he thought life with the Imprint might not be so tortuous as he had originally thought.

 _Jacob was in his wolf form, playfully chasing after a five-year-old Bella through the woods. She was giggling as she ducked behind trees and bushes, laughing excitedly every time Jacob pounced in front of her. She ran towards him and he lowered his large head, allowing her to pet his fur. Jacob closed his eyes contentedly._

 _When he opened them, Bella was gone. In her place stood Edward, whose hands were right where Bella's had been._

 _"Good wolf," Edward murmured, stroking Jacob's muzzle. Something stirred inside Jacob and suddenly he was shrinking down into his human form. In a flash he jumped on Edward, slamming him into a nearby tree. Cold arms encircled his waist as the two attacked each other with their lips. It was desperate and messy and wonderful. Jacob was just lifting Edward's shirt up when a small voice from behind him gasped._

 _"No," the voice whimpered and Jacob turned to see five-year-old Bella standing there with tears in her eyes. "You promised Jake," she said, voice breaking into sobs. "You promised you wouldn't."_

Jacob's eyes opened slowly. Almost immediately, his gaze was drawn to his open window before snapping to the chair in the corner of his room. Jacob sat up in bed slowly. He wasn't sure if he was surprised that Edward was here or not.

"Why the motorcycles?" Edward asked abruptly. He seemed annoyed.

"I-I thought it was a good idea," Jacob said stupidly before ducking his head down, still trying to shake the fog of sleep from his brain. When he looked up, he was startled to see that Edward had moved from the chair to come sit on his bed.

"You wanted me to be closer to Bella and farther from you," Edward recounted the bits and pieces he had gleaned from Jacob's thoughts earlier.

"I don't want to impose on your relationship," Jacob replied. "It's getting…not easier necessarily but the feeling I get seeing you together has become the norm now."

"You're still in pain," Edward observed. Jacob cursed his Imprint's mind-reading ability once more. He refused to answer. Why was Edward trying to make this about Jacob? It was Jacob's job to keep his Imprint happy, and if attempting to stabilize his Imprint's relationship with someone else would make Edward happy, then Jacob would do his best to do it.

"You're entitled to your feelings, Jacob," Edward said quietly, shifting closer. Jacob was frozen in place, the Imprint urging him to lean into Edward's body while his rational mind told him to move away, that this increased proximity was counterproductive to what Jacob was trying to do for Edward and Bella.

"Please," he begged, though he wasn't sure what he was begging for. He desperately wished to touch Edward. The itching need burned in his fingertips.

Jacob watched in both horror and excitement as Edward's hand inched closer to his own. As the vampire's cold fingers tentatively reached out to stroke the back of his hands, Jacob let out a sob born of desperation and frustration.

"I want to make this easier for you Jacob," Edward said, looking intently at their hands, a determined expression on his face. "It's not fair for you to do so much for me and only suffer as a result."

"I don't _just_ suffer," Jacob argued, voice tight as he tried to keep a lid on his desire. "I'm happy to make you happy."

"Well then at least let me thank you properly," Edward said before he leaned closer. Jacob's heart started racing. What exactly was Edward intending to do?

Before Jacob could start to fully panic, he felt the cold arms he had been dreaming about for countless nights surround him. It took his brain a few seconds to register that Edward was… _hugging_ him.

Unable to stop himself, Jacob gripped Edward tightly, holding him against his chest and heavily breathing in the smell of his Imprint. Jacob couldn't get enough of Edward's scent and he inhaled deeply through his nose several times until his brain started swimming in a comforting buzz. Holding Edward like this was pure ecstasy. Jacob turned his face into the crook of Edward neck, trying to get more of that delicious scent. Without thinking it through properly, Jacob darted his tongue out, tasting Edward's skin.

Suddenly his arms were empty and he looked up slowly to see Edward on the other side of the room.

"I'm….sorry," he choked out, suddenly ashamed of himself. Edward only nodded in acknowledgement. The two sat in silence before Edward spoke up.

"I should leave," he said.

"No! Please," Jacob hated how pathetic he sounded when he begged. "Please just…at least stay until I fall asleep again." Edward didn't respond for several moments. Jacob was mentally preparing himself for rejection when he heard a quiet "Alright" and Edward settled down in the chair once more.

Jacob let out a sigh of relief and quickly lied down, pulling his covers up. With the smell of his Imprint still in his nose, Jacob quickly fell asleep.

* * *

Bella woke with a start before reaching out for Edward, seeking comfort. However, her hands grasped nothing but air and she realized that he wasn't there. Anger and hurt bubbled to the surface as Bella realized that her boyfriend was probably over at the reservation with Jacob. Rosalie hadn't been lying after all.

Bella sat up and reached for her phone on the bedside table. After scrolling through her contacts, she hesitated for only a moment before hitting the "call" button. It rang twice before a sweet and musical voice greeted her from the other end of the line.

"Hey Bella," Alice said, "Is everything alright?"

"No, Alice. Can you come by?" Bella was on the verge of tears. There was a beat of silence before Alice responded.

"Sure, no problem. Be there in a moment."

Bella hung up, looking miserably out the window. She knew it would only be a matter of minutes before Alice showed up but even that felt like it took hours.

After what felt like far too long, Bella's window was sliding up and Alice silently and gracefully climbed into the room. She took one look at Bella's red eyes and trembling lips before rushing over. It took less than a second for her to reach the bed and she quickly enveloped Bella in a hug.

That was all it took for the floodgates to open. Bella started sobbing heavily, clutching onto Alice like a lifeline. The smaller girl stroked Bella's hair in a soothing manner, letting her cry out her pain and confusion.

Several minutes later and Bella had calmed somewhat, though she still held onto Alice tightly.

"Talk to me Bella. What's wrong?" she asked, despite knowing very well what was wrong.

"E-Edward. He's at the r-reservation with _J-Jacob_ ," she sobbed out, fresh tears springing to her eyes as she said it out loud.

Alice wasn't sure what to say to that. She knew it to be true, and she knew the reason why. And as much as she wished to comfort the girl crying in her arms, she wasn't going to lie to her in order to do it. Luckily she had brought reinforcements.

Moments later had Jasper climbing in the window, eyes the color of light honey from the hunt he had finished just minutes ago though there was not a trace of blood on him. He knew he would need all the extra strength he could get if he planned to stay here in Bella's room, surrounded by her scent, for very long.

Alice was looking at him from over the top of Bella's head, who hadn't even noticed his arrival yet. One nod from his wife and Jasper was reaching out with his gift, soothing Bella's frantic mind. The girl's sobs abated, though she caught on to why that was. Having been under Jasper's influence before, Bella was able to recognize the unnatural feeling of her emotions drastically changing in a matter of seconds. Without even looking up from where her head was buried in Alice's neck, she mumbled out, voice hoarse, "Jasper's here?"

Jasper elected to sit in Bella's rocking chair rather than approach the bed, more out of respect than actual avoidance of her scent.

"You sounded pretty upset over the phone so I thought he might be able to help alleviate some of the stress," Alice explained.

"Oh," was all Bella said in response. The three sat in silence for a few minutes as the last of Bella's tension eased away. She usually didn't like when Jasper would take control of her emotions, but this time she was grateful.

"He's going to leave me. For Jacob," she finally said calmly. Alice's hold tightened on Bella while Jasper's eyebrows shot up to his hairline. Neither said anything for several moments, too shocked from Bella's prediction.

"You don't know that for sure, Bella," Alice eventually said, unable to let Bella wallow in something that hadn't happened yet, though she didn't want to give her false hope by straight out denying it.

"Why else would he sneak out of here to go visit Jacob when he already sees him almost every day?" she challenged, still calm from Jasper's influence. Alice wasn't sure what to say to that. Bella was a perceptive girl and Alice knew that the changes the rest of the Cullens had noticed in Edward weren't lost on Bella.

"Will you stay with me?" Bella asked quietly. "I really don't want to be alone right now. I think I'll just get worked up again."

"Of course we will," Alice responded, nodding to her husband who sent another wave of calm over Bella for good measure.

So it was that, for first time, Bella settled into Alice's arms instead of Edward's, with Jasper keeping watch over her emotions. She fell into an exhausted, dreamless sleep.


	8. Chapter 8

The rest of the week passed much as Monday had, slowly becoming routine. Bella and Edward would visit Jacob together in La Push. Together, yet the distance between them grew with each passing day. Then each night, once Bella was asleep, Edward would sneak out to visit Jacob in private. Minutes after he left, Alice and Jasper would make their entrance—Alice lying with Bella and Jasper keeping a watchful eye from his seat in the rocking chair.

When Alice could see Edward coming, she and Jasper would quickly and efficiently cover their scent before sneaking out, leaving in the opposite direction that Edward was coming from. Then Edward would silently climb back into Bella's window and lie with her until she woke up.

All parties involved felt both a thrill of excitement and a wave of shame from all the sneaking around. Edward told himself every night that he wasn't going to go to La Push this time, that he would resist the call of the Imprint. And every night he would fail in his fight and make his way back to Jacob.

Eventually, Jacob got suspicious on Bella's behalf. He remembered what Edward's "sister" Rosalie had said the night she had found them in such close quarters. _"Isn't this usually the time you go sneak in through her window to watch her sleep?"_

He confronted Edward as the vampire was silently crawling through his window on Saturday night.

"Bella doesn't know you keep coming here." It wasn't a question. Edward had the grace to look somewhat embarrassed.

"She wouldn't understand," he replied, sounding a little exasperated. Edward let out a heavy sigh before dropping down to sit on Jacob's bed. He had abandoned his spot in the chair on Thursday night in favor of sitting on the corner of the bed. Jacob didn't mind at all but the increased proximity was starting to drive him mental.

Edward shyly reached out to lightly touch the back of Jacob's hand, smirking slightly when he heard Jacob's sharp intake of breath at the contact. Oh no, he wasn't playing fair. Slowly, Edward's fingers started _fucking caressing his hand_. Edward sighed contentedly at the contact and Jacob had to hold in the whine that tried to work its way out of his throat at the sound. He almost gave in when Edward's fingers started working their way up his arm to grasp at his bicep. _Almost._

"E-Edward, I enjoy spending time with you but I won't be your dirty secret. Especially a secret you're keeping from Bella. She's still my best friend." He shook off Edward's hand and crossed his arms, leveling his Imprint with a hard stare. Jacob wanted nothing more than to spend every waking moment with Edward, but he wasn't going to get caught up in a web of lies and deceit.

"I don't know what to do, Jake." Oh, that was another thing. Another totally unfair change. Edward had started calling him Jake regularly and it did ridiculous things to his heart and even more ridiculous things to the inside of his pants.

"It's simple, Edward. You either tell her that you're coming here at night, or you stop coming completely. And trust me when I say that it is no small task for me to say that. But I have to look out for her best interests as well. I can't be selfish."

Edward let out another sigh. "Alright, I'll tell her," he said, though he didn't look happy about it at all.

* * *

Back in Forks, Bella was having a mini-crisis. She wasn't sure where all these new feelings were coming from, but they were making her crazy and confused.

Spending the night in Alice's arms had been comforting at first—sisterly, as it should be. However, Bella was quickly discovering that such proximity was starting to cause feelings that were _anything_ but sisterly.

Her nights with Alice and Jasper in her room were beginning to feel borderline erotic. Jasper stayed in the rocking chair as Alice held her but his detached observation as he watched his wife lying in bed with her only increased the somewhat voyeuristic feel of it all. Despite the coolness of Alice's skin, her arms around Bella made her feel feverish, needy almost. To her extreme embarrassment, she had been found out pretty early on. The first time it happened, the arousal pooling between Bella's legs caused Alice and Jasper to freeze, sniffing at the air. Of _course_ they can smell it, Bella thought miserably, her face fire engine red from humiliation. She had tried to pull away, but Alice's grip held strong, not allowing her to move an inch. Bella didn't know what to make of that. Nor did she know what to make of the look on Jasper's face when she locked eyes with him. If he hadn't been feeding so regularly, she would have said that he looked almost hungry. Hungry for what, she wasn't sure.

So it was with a staggering sense of depravity that Bella would spend every night lying in Alice's arms, feeling herself getting aroused and worked up from the closeness while Jasper looked on intently.

Bella wasn't sure what it was all leading up to, but she got her answer on Saturday night shortly after Jasper and Alice had arrived and took their usual seats. Trying to ignore the clenching in her lower stomach, Bella attempted to fall asleep.

It wasn't until she awoke a few hours later, gasping and drenched in sweat from the wildly inappropriate dream about her two silent companions, that Bella attempted to shoo them away.

"I-I think I'm fine, guys. You don't have to stay here," she stammered, trying to squirm out of Alice's arms.

"Bella," Jasper's voice was deep, almost a growl. Rather than scaring her, it just sent another jolt of arousal through her. She had to get them out of here.

"Please. You two can't stay here," she said frantically, pushing against the impossible strength of Alice's arms. Suddenly she was hit with a wave a calm. Bella tried her best to glare at Jasper.

"You're getting yourself worked up over nothing," he defended.

"I don't care," she mumbled, unable to get free from the hold he had on her emotions.

"Just go to sleep, Bella," Jasper soothed, and Bella felt her eyelids droop. Soon she dropped off to sleep again.

* * *

Alice and Jasper looked at each other from across the room.

"I don't think I can take much more of this, Alice," he said through gritted teeth. "It's driving me crazy."

"I know," she said, voice sounding slightly strangled.

"What do we do?" he asked, getting up from the rocking chair and striding over to sit by Alice.

"There's still not much we can do," Alice responded. "She needs to make these kinds of decisions by herself."

Jasper growled lowly at that. Alice giggled.

"Bella likes it when you growl," she said quietly. Jasper smirked.

"Oh I know," he chuckled, looking over at the girl in question.

"Just be patient, love," Alice said, reaching up to cup his cheek. "Everything will fall into place soon enough."

* * *

When Bella woke up on Sunday morning, it was to the sight of Edward standing by her window. She never woke up in his arms anymore these days.

"We need to talk, Bella," he said bluntly, not moving from his spot by the window. Bella's heart stuttered. Did he know about Alice and Jasper?

"O-okay," she said, sitting up. Edward looked at her intently for a few moments before speaking.

"I've been visiting Jacob over at La Push most nights while you've been asleep," he said quickly.

Oh. Well Bella already knew that. But Edward didn't know that she knew. She opened her mouth to reply but Edward help up a hand to silence her.

"Before you say anything, I need you to know why," Bella nodded, indicating for him to continue. Edward turned and faced the window. "Jacob's Imprint affects me similarly to how it affects him, though it's not as strong. When we are apart for a prolonged period of time, things become uncomfortable…I know you don't like how much time I've been spending with him but I can see no other alternative." After he finished, he turned back around to look at her.

Bella wasn't sure how to respond. Should she pretend to act surprised? Should she confess to her own nightly visitors?

"Oh," was her intelligent response. Edward smiled slightly.

"I wish I knew what you were thinking," he said fondly.

"So…are you going to be spending the night regularly with him now?" she asked. Edward looked uncomfortable. "It's okay Edward. I understand."

Bella wanted to giggle at the way Edward's jaw dropped at that. In a flash Edward was sitting on her bed, gripping her hands to his chest.

"You're okay with this?" he asked, disbelieving. His eyes seemed to be searching hers for any hint of dishonesty. Bella chose her next words carefully.

"I don't want you to be in pain, Edward," she said softly. "If it's what you need to do, I won't stop you."

Needless to say, considering all that had been going on in the past week, Bella was very shocked when Edward pulled her into his arms and hugged her closely. Stunned, she slowly brought her own arms up to wind around his neck. Bella was suddenly reminded of her first encounters with Edward when they had met only a few years ago. The mood swings, the closeness and distance all jumbled together. And just as it had then, it was giving her whiplash. She had been so sure that Edward was slowly but surely getting away from her and running into Jacob's arms. As much as the idea still hurt, she had begun to accept it on some level. Seen it as the inevitable. But now, sitting here wrapped in Edward's arms, Bella felt a glimmer of hope. Maybe her relationship wasn't completely doomed. Maybe she would get to keep Edward after all.

* * *

The following week was almost comical in its stark contrast from the week before. Things were so different, while other things were exactly the same.

During the afternoons, Jacob would watch with warring feelings of approval and jealousy as Bella and Edward appeared more at ease with each other, more open. There was more physical affection, and there were more privately shared looks of devotion. Assured that Bella knew where Edward was spending his nights, Jacob felt somewhat at peace, glad that there were no more secrets.

At nighttime however, the world turned itself inside out to accommodate this alternate universe where boyfriends ran off to their Imprinted werewolf while girlfriends spent the night in the arms of their lover's siblings.

It was as if everyone wore masks during the day, masks that depicted the person each individual believed he or she should be. Jacob kept his distance from Edward, Alice and Jasper kept their distance from Bella, and Bella and Edward closed the distance between themselves. Everyone played their part beautifully, all under the impression that it was for the best.

But at nighttime, the masks came off. Edward hurried off to La Push to seek the sweet relief of his werewolf's presence, while Bella snuggled into the arms of her boyfriend's sister, under the intense stare of his brother.

The whole situation was so completely backwards that all involved knew that they were heading towards some big event that would change everything. Because this odd balance between easiness and deception could only go on for so long before something gave, and it was sure to be a doozy when it did.


	9. Chapter 9

Jacob wasn't sure if he was more exhilarated or panicked by Edward's new apparent fascination with touching him. Ever since that hug Edward had been very liberal with physical contact, though nothing ever overtly sexual. And therein laid the dilemma.

Jacob had already decided that he was not going to be the home wrecker that tore Bella and Edward apart, despite his knowledge that Edward wanted him on more than just a friendly level. However, every time Edward got close and started touching him, all that common sense and determination dissipated leaving behind only the very distinct feeling of his nerve endings practically singing under Edward's fingers.

Even worse was the fact that Edward seemed to immensely enjoy the power he had over Jacob. And Jacob would have reprimanded him were it not for the sweetness of that touch. _He feels the Imprint's call too. He needs the contact too_. These were flimsy excuses for what they were doing but Jacob's grip on his hormones was becoming more tenuous by the day.

So that was how Jacob found himself mentally battling his erection as he was sitting in bed with Edward, holding hands and chatting about classical music. Edward knew exactly what was going on, if the smell didn't give Jacob away then his thoughts surely did.

 _'Go down, damnit. Bad boy! Think of Bella.'_

And while thinking of Bella certainly did keep Jacob from practically writhing around for friction, it didn't help much beyond that.

"Something the matter, Jake?" Edward asked innocently. And goddamn Jacob would never get used to hearing Edward call him by his nickname.

"Bastard. You know exactly what's the matter," Jacob said through gritted teeth. Edward only chuckled in response and brought his other hand up to stroke Jacob's hair.

"There, there," he said seriously, though Jacob could tell he was fighting to hold back a grin.

"Why are you doing this?" Jacob asked, squeezing his eyes shut. "What did I do to you to deserve this kind of torment?"

"I'm just doing my best to soothe the Imprint, Jake. Nothing more than that." But Edward's hand dropped from Jacob's hair and put a bit more of a comfortable distance between them.

Jacob let out a relieved sigh that still sounded a bit like a whine. His head was a mess. The constant push-pull of both wanting to be near Edward and wanting to respect his relationship with Bella was maddening and Jacob felt he was on the verge of insanity.

"I'm going to buy you a stereo system," Edward mused out loud. Jacob spluttered at the sudden subject change.

"What? Are you crazy? You're crazy. Hush." He was still trying to shake off the fog of lust that seemed to have an iron grip on him whenever Edward was close.

"We spend so much time discussing music. It seems appropriate."

"That's hardly a good reason to buy someone a stereo," Jacob scoffed.

In a flash so sudden that Jacob barely had time to register the movement, Edward had Jacob pinned down on the bed and was looming over him. Jacob's brain shut down as he gazed into Edward's beautiful topaz eyes. Edward had his body lined up with Jacob's and there were mere centimeters between them. His face was inching closer and closer to and Jacob had the crazy thought—yet again—that Edward was about to kiss him. However, his Imprint stopped when he was an inch away.

"Please Jake," Edward purred, causing Jacob's groin to ache and pulse. "Let me buy you a stereo." Jacob swallowed hard. Damnit, the bastard had him.

"Y-yeah ok," he stammered out. Edward's grin was dazzling.

"Good little pup," he praised while patting the top of Jacob's head before climbing off.

Jacob wanted to feel indignant about being called "pup" and petted like a dog, truly he did. But he couldn't deny the fact that he desperately wanted to be Edward's "good little pup".

* * *

It was Thursday night, and Bella was wide-awake. Despite the somewhat alleviated nature of her relationship with Edward, she was still having a hard time getting a grip on the arousal that stirred inside of her whenever Alice was close and Jasper was watching.

She had tried to send them away. Several times. However, the fact that they had superhuman strength and couldn't be forced to do anything they didn't want to do and the fact that Bella didn't _really_ want them gone resulted in nothing more than a few half-hearted protests which were quickly abated by Jasper's influence.

So it was while Bella laid wide-awake in Alice's arms on Thursday night that she decided to throw caution to the wind. The words were out of her mouth before she could change her mind.

"Jasper, come sit with us." Bella patted the bed on her other side.

There was absolute silence. Bella knew that as vampires, they didn't _need_ to breath but Edward had once explained to her that it was uncomfortable to have their sense of smell cut off for very long. So it was pretty noticeable when Alice and Jasper's deep and measured "breathing" suddenly ceased. Meanwhile, her heart was ramming against her rib cage as she herself was in slight shock over her audacity.

After a few minutes passed without either vampire making a move, Bella accepted that her request was going to go unanswered. She was just getting ready to try and nod off when the bed suddenly dipped behind her and a second cold presence hovered next to her skin. Bella froze. Of course she wouldn't have heard the creak of the chair or the patter of feet across the floorboards that would signal a _normal_ human's approach. She did however notice that both vampires were still holding their breath, as if too much disturbance in the air would break the spell that had settled over the three of them in the darkness of the night.

All at once and very quickly, Bella was shifted slightly. Alice was no longer holding her, but had turned on her side to face Bella, one arm still slung across her waist. Their noses were almost touching and Bella squeezed her eyes shut, unable to handle the intensity shining in Alice's eyes. Behind her, Jasper's weight shifted as well and a tentative hand came to rest on her shoulder in a barely-there touch.

Bella's body was on overdrive. Her heart was still banging mercilessly in her chest while her brain struggled to grasp some semblance of sanity. Her gut was clenching in a deliciously painful way and her skin was hypersensitive. The fact that Bella had closed her eyes tightly only added to the sensation of Alice and Jasper's bodies suddenly surrounding her. Slowly, she opened her eyes.

Alice still wore that penetrating stare and Bella felt her breath start coming in short pants. Between both Alice and Jasper's superhuman senses and the latter's ability to read emotions, Bella knew that she had no hope of keeping her reactions to their proximity a secret.

It was still ironic, though, that Bella was the only person in the room who was surprised when she leaned in and pressed her lips to Alice's.


	10. Chapter 10

For a few blessed moments, Bella forgot where she was and what exactly she was doing. All she felt was the erotic sensation of cold lips, somehow soft despite the marble-like hardness of Alice's skin. She reveled in the feeling of a delicate hand grazing her side to cup her cheek, of the way that the much larger and stronger hand on her shoulder tightened as cool breath skated across the back of her neck. Bella was drowning in their touches.

She had never considered herself a particularly sexual person before. Despite the desire she had felt for Edward it never reached the level of all-consuming need that she had roiling through her blood right now. The intensity of it all was staggering, and a small whimper escaped her lips.

The sound seemed to bring the three of them back to earth in a crash. Bella gasped as she leaned away from Alice, only to feel the press of Jasper's body behind her. Bella moaned when she felt something hard pressing against her lower back. She was trapped. Trapped in her own desire and lust, and trapped between the bodies of two other people—two _vampires._

Bella tried to bring her head above water, to remind herself why her actions would cause trouble and pain. She tried, truly. But all too quickly the tide pulled her back and she was swept under again. She moaned as she surged forward to crash her lips back against Alice's once more. No longer inhibited by her own shyness, Bella let her hand slither around Alice's waist and attempt to pull her closer while at the same time trying to push back against Jasper, who growled lowly in her ear.

Sparks went off behind her eyelids at the sound and Bella moaned again. That seemed to spur the other two on, as they pressed closer against her, sandwiching Bella between themselves.

Alice's tongued darted out to lick against her lips at the same time that Jasper pressed his own lips against Bella's shoulder. She felt his hand slide down her arm before slipping under to wrap around her waist. Bella barely had time to recover from that before she was roughly pulled flush against Jasper's body. Alice followed closely, lips still firmly attached to Bella's. Jasper's fingers brushed under the hem of her shirt and Bella whimpered at the sensation. Alice took the opportunity to slide her tongue into Bella's mouth and lick at her tongue. The taste was so sweet, better than any candy.

It was all too much, the feeling of Alice's lips and tongue coupled with the teasing motions of Jasper's hand on her stomach began to escalate, building up to something—Bella had no idea what. Somewhat panicked, she tried to pull away but was held tightly in place and the restrictive feeling only caused that pressure to build even more. And then, without warning, Bella's world exploded into color. It was unlike anything she had ever felt before. It ran all throughout her body though most of the sensation seemed to flow from between her stomach and thighs. After a few minutes of riding the high, Bella slowly floated back down to earth.

"What _was_ that?" Bella asked.

" _That_ , Bella, was an orgasm," Alice replied smugly. Bella exhaled loudly.

"Wow." Her brain was still fuzzy but it was slowly clearing. Bella was about to let the exhaustion carry her off to sleep when she finally realized what she had just done.

"Oh no," was all she said as shame and guilt crashed over her. What had she done? All this time she had been suspicious of Edward and what he was doing during his nights with Jacob in La Push. Bella still wasn't sure if he was being unfaithful or not. But she certainly had been. Bella couldn't imagine that kissing and having an orgasm from someone other than her boyfriend wouldn't be considered cheating. Before she could properly panic though, she felt Jasper's now familiar presence invading her emotions and manipulating them.

"Easy there Bella," he said softly. "Everything will feel better in the morning."

* * *

Things did not feel better in the morning. Bella was nervous and twitchy around Edward all day at school. Her boyfriend probably would have noticed if his head wasn't so preoccupied with thoughts of Jacob. For once, Bella was grateful that Edward wasn't paying her much attention.

However, Edward was still an observant person and he couldn't ignore Bella's panicked squeak when she saw Alice and Jasper in the parking lot at the end of the day, climbing into their car. Her eyes locked with Jasper's and the wave of arousal she felt at the memory of last night hit her like a sledgehammer. She froze mid-step and her body felt like a tensely coiled spring.

"Bella?" Edward asked, not noticing the shared gaze between Bella and Jasper. Bella quickly broke eye contact before he saw. "Are you alright?"

Bella willed herself to get a grip.

"Fine," she replied tightly. Bella tried to smile but judging from the expression on Edward's face it probably looked more like a grimace. Edward was standing in front of her and his hands came up to cup her cheeks as he searched her face for any signs of illness or pain. Bella's eyes darted over his shoulder to see Jasper wearing a stormy expression. His eyes narrowed and the shot of desire that had hit her upon first seeing him intensified so strongly and suddenly that she fell to her knees. That was uncalled for.

"Bella!" Edward exclaimed, dropping down to check her for injury. There was the sound of tires squealing and she knew that it was Jasper and Alice speeding off.

Bella was growing irritated by Edward's fussing but she realized how bad the whole situation looked to him. She gave a second attempt at a smile.

"Don't worry about it Edward. Stomach cramp, that's all." It was a lame excuse, and Edward probably knew it but he must have realized that she wasn't going to elaborate so he simply helped her to stand and led her over to his car.

"I'm taking you home and you're going to rest." His tone left no room for argument. But Bella would argue. She always did when it came to stuff like this.

* * *

Jasper's grip on the wheel was tight as his uncharacteristically volatile emotions roiled through him.

"That was a dangerous move, Jasper," Alice scolded, referring to his stunt to the parking lot.

"I know, Alice. Don't you think I know that? I don't know what came over me. I'm not usually like this!" He was so frustrated with himself. After years of strict emotional control he was losing his mind over a simple innocent touch between Bella and her own boyfriend.

"You almost blew our cover. You're lucky Edward was so focused on Bella." Alice wasn't about to admit that she had felt a similar ripple of jealousy at seeing Edward so close to Bella. It was harder for the both of them, knowing what was coming in the future.

"I want to go to Bella's," Jasper said before whipping the car around and heading in the direction of the Swan residence.

"Jasper, no! Edward's dropping her off. He thinks she's sick so he's going to stay with her for a while." Jasper growled angrily before pulling off to stop on the side of the road and killing the engine.

"Why is this happening, Alice?" Jasper demanded. "How can things be this…this _intense_ after one night?"

"It hasn't been just one night though, Jasper," she explained calmly. "This has been building up since we stayed with her that first time. We knew this was coming."

"I didn't know it was going to be this difficult seeing them together," he said quietly. Alice smiled wryly.

"Me neither. I knew it would be strong but not this strong. We have to regroup before we see either Bella or Edward again. They're still technically together—" Jasper growled again at that, "—and Bella's not ready. She's really not. We have to think about what's best for her." Jasper relaxed slightly at that.

"What's best for Bella," he repeated to himself, nodding. "Right. I can do that." Jasper reached over to hold Alice's hand.

"Let's go home," Alice suggested, hoping that her husband had cooled off enough. Jasper nodded before starting the car again.


	11. Chapter 11

"Edward I'm _fine_ ," Bella was getting irritated again. She pushed away his hands.

"Bella you collapsed in the parking lot. Of course you're not fine," Edward argued back. He kept trying to make her to lie down and rest but Bella was having none of it.

"Just go to La Push without me then. I can take care of myself."

"I don't know Bella…" his brow furrowed in concern.

" _Go_ , Edward," she shooed him towards the door. Bella could tell he was anxious to get to Jacob. And _she_ was anxious to call up Jasper and ask him just who the hell he thought he was. Unable to resist the call of his Imprint any longer, Edward sighed.

"Call me if you need anything," he said before allowing her to push him out the door.

As soon as Edward's car was well out of hearing distance, Bella furiously pulled up Jasper's number on her phone. He answered before the end of the first ring.

"Bella." He sounded falsely cheery.

"You. Here. _Now_ ," she bit out before hanging up before beginning to pace.

Despite being insanely annoyed at Jasper, the knowledge that he and Alice were coming over spurred her to quickly check her appearance and fluff her hair in the bathroom mirror. Just as she was debating whether or not she had time to brush her teeth, there was a knock on the front door. Bella tried very hard to remember that she was angry at Jasper before she pulled open the door.

However, at the sight of Alice and Jasper, Bella's knees suddenly grew weak. They truly were beautiful. Jasper's smirk at the small rush of arousal reminded her why they were here and she struggled to put on her best glare.

Without a word, Bella turned on her heel and headed for the living room. She would not allow herself to succumb to her desire. What had happened last night was a mistake. It was cheating. It couldn't happen again.

With that in mind, Bella turned around to face them with a tirade poised on her lips but froze when she noticed that Jasper had been following closely behind her. His face was inches from hers. Bella exhaled in a rush, all thoughts of scolding having flown from her mind the moment she looked into those honey colored eyes.

"I'm sorry," Jasper murmured softly as he brought a hand up to cup her cheek. "It was wrong of me and I'm sorry." Bella struggled to stay strong.

"You're playing dirty," she quietly gasped, head swimming. Jasper smirked again.

"Oh Bella," he said fondly, "you haven't seen anything yet." In a movement so quick it made her dizzy, Bella suddenly found herself pinned up against a wall. Except no, it wasn't a wall. It was Alice, Bella realized as small arms encircled her waist. Without thinking, Bella let her right hand drop to gently stroke Alice's knuckles with her thumb. Cool lips pressed against the nape of her neck and Bella shivered.

Jasper growled softly at the small movement and pressed the length of his body against her own, reaching down for her free hand and lacing their fingers together. His other hand came up to tangle in her hair, before gently yet firmly pulling her head back to expose her neck. Bella moaned at the sensation and the hand in her hair tightened slightly in response.

The lips that had been at the nape of her neck moved around to gently brush at the junction between her neck and her shoulder. Meanwhile, Jasper was nuzzling at the other side of her throat and breathing in her scent. Bella's head began to swim as a familiar pressure began to build up in her lower stomach. Alice's fingers slipped under her shirt to rub circles into her hipbones while Jasper pulled back from her neck to stare into her eyes again. He only allowed her a few moments of relief before leaning in and gently kissing her lips. Bella's eyes fluttered shut of their own volition and whimpered. It was such a soft kiss, his lips barely brushing against hers. She tried to lean forward to get more contact but was held firmly in place. Bella let out a needy moan as her body began to thrum. Blood raced down her body from her head, to her lips, to her hips before settling heavily at her core. The teasing whisper of Jasper's lips against her own was maddening—not enough but at the same time all too much. Alice's hands gripped her hips tightly and small fingers began to just barely ghost under the waistband of her jeans. Bella's skin was on fire and she knew she was close to exploding into orgasm again. Just as she was about to fall over the edge, though, Jasper pulled back and Alice dropped her hands from Bella's hips.  
Bella's eyes flew open at the sudden loss of sensation. It took her a minute to come out of the fog and focus.

She heard Jasper chuckle. The sound brought her back enough to register that Alice and Jasper were standing in front of her, a frustrating three feet away. Unable to speak, all she managed was a confused stare.

"We'll see you tonight Bella," Alice said sweetly before the two turned to leave. Bella reached out to stop them but before she could even manage to form words, they were out the door.

Bella slumped to the floor, unsure of what to do. Why had they stopped? What was she supposed to do now?

* * *

Edward let out a laugh, chasing after Jacob's wolf form as it darted through the trees. Jacob had managed to shake him off numerous times already and now Edward was determined to catch him.

He was just starting to gain on Jacob when the wolf suddenly stopped in his tracks. Edward came to a stop next to him. All was still.

 _'Do you smell that?'_ Jacob was sniffing at the air, seeming agitated. Edward frowned. There was nothing in this forest that could harm them.

Edward had been more focused on Jacob's musky scent as he had been hunting him through the woods but now he took the time to inhale deeply, eyes narrowing as a familiar scent hit his nose.

"Victoria," he growled, immediately crouching and scanning the surrounding forest.

 _'She's back.'_

The two frantically set off trying to track her down but the scent was old and she was most likely long gone.

"We have to get back to Bella," Edward said before taking off towards Forks, Jacob hot on his heels.

When they arrived at Bella's house, Edward immediately went inside while Jacob kept watch from the trees. Charlie was home and Jacob had left his jeans behind in the forest.

Sam's voice suddenly entered Jacob's thoughts.

 _'Jacob.'_ Sam sounded both worried and angry.

 _'I know. Bella's fine. But we need to find the leech fast.'_

 _'Finally! A leech we're allowed to kill!'_ Paul's voice whooped and for once Jacob was all too happy to encourage his enthusiasm.

Jacob tensed as the smell of another vampire invaded his sense but he relaxed when he saw that it was just two other Cullens—the tiny one and the blond one. They both nodded at him in acknowledgement before entering the house. They looked pretty nervous, which Jacob could certainly empathize with but not necessarily understand. If it was just this one rogue leech, then it should be no problem for the Cullens.

Minutes later though, Edward was storming out the front door. The expression on his face was murderous. Bella's voice was calling out after him as she ran to follow him. She was crying.

"I'm sorry Edward! Please!" But Edward ignored her and stalked over to where Jacob was hiding in the trees.

 _'What's going on?'_

"Not here," Edward bit out before sprinting off into the forest. Jacob was torn. He wanted to make sure Bella was okay but his loyalty was first and foremost to his Imprint. Making his decision, he turned and ran after Edward.

It took him a while to catch up but when he had it was to the sight of Edward uprooting trees and smashing them in his hands. He looked livid. Jacob felt a shiver of desire at the spectacle of pure power and strength but he quickly shook it off. Something was wrong.

 _'What was that all about?'_

Edward stopped smashing for a few moments, fists clenching by his sides. But when he spoke his voice was quiet and a little broken.

"Bella…cheated on me." Saying the words out loud clearly did something to him, because in the next moment he pounded his fist into the trunk of a still-standing tree. It practically disintegrated under his fist, and splinters rained down everywhere.

 _'How do you know?'_ Jacob was certain that Bella would never cheat on Edward. She was planning on spending her entire life—and all of eternity, if Edward ever agreed to change her—with him.

"I saw it. In Jasper's thoughts. She cheated on me. With Jasper. And Alice." Edward was shaking so hard he was practically vibrating; and as much as Jacob wanted to go over to comfort him, he felt he should keep his distance for now.

 _'Jasper_ and _Alice?'_ Jacob could guess from context that Jasper and Alice were the names of the two Cullens he had seen enter Bella's house only minutes ago. He was absolutely blown away and still a little disbelieving. After all of Bella's anger and suspicion when Edward was coming to visit Jacob, she ended up being the one cheating.

"Jasper and Alice—" Edward growled out their names, "—are going to take her back to the house where my family can protect her. She'll be safe. But...I can't be there right now, Jake."

 _'I understand. Let's go back to La Push.'_ Edward nodded.

"Alright."

The two took off back towards the reservation.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Author's notes aren't really my thing but I just wanted to say thank you for all the positive feedback and reviews. I know this OTP is kinda dead since the last movie came out and I'm glad there are still some Jakeward fans out there :)**

 **Here's an extra long chapter as a thank you for all the kind words and encouragement.**

Edward didn't return to the Cullen residence for several days. He was calling Carlisle daily for updates but he refused to return home or take any calls from Bella, Jasper, or Alice. Edward took a vindictive pleasure in the fact that they couldn't follow him into La Push, as Jasper and Alice still weren't allowed on the wolves' territory and Bella wasn't going anywhere without a Cullen escort. And while the knowledge that Jasper and Alice were probably fulfilling that role of escort was irritating, he couldn't be bothered to try to stop their interactions with Bella.

Jacob hadn't left his side once. Even when Sam and some of the pack went to the Cullen residence to confer with Carlisle, Jacob stayed put. Edward could tell that Jacob was worried about him but at the same time, both were reveling in the amount of time they were spending together—running through the woods, strolling along the beach, sitting in Jacob's room listening to tapes on the stereo that Edward had bought for him.

It was like an emotional oasis. Edward didn't have to think too much about what Bella had done, what might be going on over at the house, or even much about where Victoria might be. With all of his family and the entire werewolf pack keeping an eye out, Edward felt uncharacteristically lazy and detached from the problem. He just wanted to spend time with Jacob, and ignore everything else.

When Monday rolled around, Edward didn't hesitate to skip school. He knew he was avoiding the issue and that he would eventually have to face it. But the idea of seeing Bella was rather distasteful, and he was growing more and more reluctant to leave Jacob's side.

On Tuesday, however, a new development arose that forced Edward to leave his small paradise. Carlisle had informed him that while Bella had been at school and Charlie had been at work, Victoria had come and taken one of Bella's shirts—presumably for tracking purposes. Which was odd, since Victoria already knew Bella's scent pretty well. Carlisle suspected that there might be more at work here, possibly more vampires.

So it was with a grudging sense of duty that Edward arrived at school on Tuesday morning as a measure of added protection and extra set of eyes. He avoided Bella all day and it wasn't until that afternoon when he saw her talking with Jacob, of all people, in the school parking lot that he finally approached her.

"What's going on here?" he was immediately on high alert. Bella turned towards him, a mixture of anger and hurt on her face. Edward thought it was pretty rich that she was the one feeling wronged.

"I asked Jacob to make sure Charlie stayed away from the house for a while, so he's in La Push with Billy right now. I don't want him to be there if Victoria stops by again. I'm going with Jacob to the reservation." Bella's eyes flickered over to where Alice and Jasper were watching from their car. Edward followed her gaze and immediately picked up on Jasper's thoughts.

 _'What is she thinking? She better not be getting on that bike.'_ That drew Edward's attention to the motorcycle behind Jacob. Edward wholeheartedly agreed with Jasper's line of thought, but probably for a different reason. The determined and stubborn look on Bella's face—one that he was all too familiar with—confirmed his suspicions.

"No Bella, you're not getting on that bike. If you need to go to La Push I will drive you." As much as Edward didn't want to be near her right now, he didn't want her riding all the way to La Push with her arms around Jacob even more. Bella's eyes shone with victory, and Edward realized that he had been played. This had been a ploy to get him alone. Edward quickly changed tactics.

"Or, you could have _Jasper and Alice_ drive you to the border and have Jacob pick you up in his _car_ from there." Bella winced at the bite in his tone.

"Edward, I haven't even spoken to them since Friday. Please, I want to talk. Let me explain. I promise it won't happen again," she spoke softly but Edward could hear every word. And he could tell that she was being genuine but he was still so angry. And the fact that she had tried to trick him into being alone together had not put him in a very forgiving mood.

"I'm going home to discuss Victoria's movements with Carlisle. Jasper and Alice will take you to see Charlie in La Push." Edward turned to tell Jasper and Alice to do just that but stopped when he realized that Bella was trudging towards Jacob's bike.

"Bella," he made sure it sounded more like a warning than anything. She turned towards him.

"Edward you have to trust me." Edward thought that was hilarious.

"No, I _don't_ trust you. It's _him_ I trust," he nodded over to Jacob, who was clearly trying to pretend that he wasn't hearing any of this conversation. Edward knew the words would hurt her but he didn't care at the moment. He wanted her to hurt. Wanted her to know what it felt like to have the person you love choose someone else over you.

However, his words seemed to strengthen her resolve and she clambered onto the back of Jacob's bike. Edward locked eyes with Jacob, silently pleading. Jacob smiled softly.

"Don't worry. It'll be fine. I'll see you tonight." With that, Jacob plopped a helmet onto Bella's head before straddling the bike and kicking it to life, speeding out of the parking lot and heading towards La Push.

* * *

Jacob felt, in a word, uncomfortable. He had known there was bound to be some kind of drama when his Imprint turned out to be his best friend's vampiric boyfriend. Honestly, it was like one huge soap opera. But he had never imagined _this_.

Trying to keep the peace between Edward and Bella while still attempting to remain uninvolved was harder than he thought. As he rode his motorcycle into La Push and towards his own house, Jacob wondered how long they would all remain in this odd limbo where Edward avoided Bella, Bella chased after Edward, and Jacob tried to play the role of both loyal Imprint and dutiful best friend at the same time.

It wasn't until he was sitting on his couch, watching Bella discreetly fret over her father's safety, that the idea of Edward and Bella possibly breaking up struck him. What would happen to this complex structure of relationships that had been established?

Jacob was pulled out of his thoughts by Bella requesting a walk on the beach. Secure in the knowledge that Charlie was safe while he was in La Push, Jacob set off towards the shore with Bella. He could tell this was all a ploy to speak to him alone. About what, he could only guess.

It took Bella quite a while to work up the courage to say whatever it was that she wanted to say. They had been walking in silence for almost half an hour before she spoke up.

"He's not leaving me," she said suddenly, sounding very sure of herself. Jacob wasn't sure how to respond, so he didn't. Bella continued. "He's mad at me now but I'm going to fix it and we're going to be happy again. So don't go thinking that you can pounce on him. He's still my boyfriend." Bella was many things but meek was not one of them, at least not when it came to people she was close to. Jacob wanted to get mad at her for her words, he truly did. And he did feel a little indignant that she was warning her off of Edward when _she_ had been the unfaithful one. But he could also somewhat understand where she was coming from. She was feeling insecure and panicked, and probably very ashamed.

"I wasn't going to pounce on him at all, Bells. No worries." He slung a comforting arm around her shoulders. Apparently that was the wrong move to make because she jerked out from under his arm. Jacob supposed he could understand that reaction as well. Bella suddenly stopped walking before turning to face him.

"I need to ask a favor, Jake," she said, and Jacob could tell that whatever it was, the favor was most likely unpleasant. Jacob nodded for her to continue. She took a deep breath. "I need you to stop seeing Edward for a while. Make him think you don't want to be around him."

Jacob's jaw nearly came unhinged at the audacity of her request. "Excuse me?" Bella rushed to explain.

"Between all the time he's spending with you and then this latest…development—" Jacob snorted at her word choice, "—there's no room for Edward and I to work on our relationship. I need that time now. Please Jake I _need_ this. I'm nothing without Edward." Jacob studied her face closely. He could tell she was anxious; the confidence from her earlier assurance of Edward's loyalty to her was long gone.

"That's not exactly something I can do, Bells," he explained, "Just going more than a day without being near him is hard." Bella nodded.

"I know. I'm not saying stay away completely. Sam told Carlisle that the pack would be running patrols to keep an eye out on the house. So whenever Edward's over—which will be almost every night—you can take that patrol. The proximity should help some, right?" She was wringing her hands now, and Jacob had never seen her look so nervous. Jacob wasn't sure how airtight her theory was. Could Jacob deal if he was close to Edward, without necessarily spending time _with_ him?

Jacob took a deep breath. He couldn't believe he was about to have this conversation with _Bella_ of all people. But he thought she might be able to empathize a bit. Jacob looked into her eyes, hoping that Bella could be a best friend right now instead of a jealous girlfriend.

"You need to hear the truth, Bella," he started before he could chicken out, "That I'm in love with him."

Wow, saying it out loud was both exhilarating and terrifying. Judging from the look on Bella's face, it was mostly terrifying for her.

Next thing Jacob knew, a small fist was ramming into his face. Jacob barely felt it but Bella gasped in pain, clutching her hand to her chest.

"Bella! Are you okay?" Jacob tried to get close to examine her hand but she pulled away from him, grumbling at the pain. Jacob tried to feel bad, he really did. But the fact that punching him in the face had caused _her_ injury was just hilarious. He managed to keep a semi-straight face, though. "Let me see your hand," he said gently, reaching out again. Bella scowled but allowed her hand to be examined.

It was swelling already. Jacob sighed. "Alright, let's get some ice on this." He turned to lead her back to the house when his cell phone rang. Jacob grimaced at the caller I.D but answered anyway.

"What is it Paul?" Jacob was not in the mood for Paul's crap right now. There was just too much going on at the moment. But he had an obligation to his pack, and it could possibly be information regarding Victoria.

"Dude, I need your help. That bike you lent me crashed." Jacob rolled his eyes.

"And by crashed you mean that _you_ crashed it, correct?"

"Hey! The steering was off and I lost control. Not my fault," Paul defended.

"Yeah, steering can get pretty sensitive if you try to ride it faster than 120 miles per hour, meathead."

"C'mon Jake," Paul whined, "Just come and take a look? Please?" Paul never said please so Jacob decided to reward his good behavior and acquiesced.

"Alright fine. Do you have a first aid kit?" Jacob looked anxiously at the bruises that were beginning to form on Bella's knuckles.

"Uh yeah I think so, but why do _you_ need one?"

"Not for me, it's for Bella."

"What? What happened?" Jacob was reluctant to explain for the sake of Bella's dignity but hey, she _had_ punched him.

"She punched me in the face." There was silence on the other end and then roaring laughter. Jacob held the phone a few inches from his ear, wincing at the loud noise. Bella was glaring, clearly able to hear Paul's laughter.

"Yeah yeah yeah, it's hilarious. We'll be there in a few. Get a bag of ice ready and find me some arnica cream." Paul was still chuckling when he responded.

"Yeah sure. See you in a bit." The line went dead.

Jacob looked over to where Bella was still scowling.

"It's not _that_ funny," she grumbled, clearly caught between the knowledge that she needed his help with her hand and the anger at his earlier confession.

Later, while Bella was icing her hand, Jacob was looking over the damage that Paul had done to the motorcycle.

"You really busted this thing up," Jacob commented as he observed the various scratches and dents. However, the most prominent issue with the bike was the fact that it wouldn't start. Jacob groaned when he realized that he would have to bring it back to his garage where he had more tools on hand. "I'm never letting you near any of my vehicles for the rest of time," Jacob commented before gripping the handles to steer it down the driveway.

"Ready to go?" Bella asked as she came over, ice still on her hand.

"Yeah, let's head on out."

"Jake wait," Paul reached out to grab Jacob's arm. He wasn't particularly forceful about it so Jacob let it slide. "Any news about the rogue leech?"

"Hasn't Sam been keeping you updated?" Jacob asked. It was true that there wasn't much information about Victoria's movements. The most promising development so far was a stale scent trail she had left behind, but it led out of Forks towards Seattle. The Cullens and the pack had come to the conclusion that the ridiculously reinforced protection surrounding Bella had warded her off.

"I know but—" Paul's eyes darted towards Bella, "—how do we know this leech isn't in with the Cullens?" Bella was outraged.

"The Cullens would _never_ let Victoria run free through Forks," she said angrily. Paul turned on her.

"Yeah well seeing as Edward spends all his time here with Jacob I figured maybe he had called in an old friend to get rid of you." That was uncalled for and a cruel thing to say; not to mention pretty faulty logic, but Paul's brain-to-mouth filter had always been lacking and he had never been particularly bright.

"That's enough, Paul," Jacob warned. "The Cullens care about Bella. They wouldn't let any harm come to her. Or _any_ human for that matter. What the hell is wrong with you?"

"I'm just saying, man. Leeches can be pretty deceptive. It's in their nature, right? I mean, how do we know that Edward isn't using all this time on the Rez to destroy the pack from the inside. Then there would be nothing standing in their way if they wanted to start hunting humans again. And since he's your Imprint we wouldn't be able to shit. I'm telling you, that leech of yours is up to—" Paul never got to finish explaining what Edward was up to because the next thing he knew Jacob had tackled him to the ground, snarling.

"Don't you _dare_ talk about Edward like that!" Jacob roared, cocking back his fist and landing a punch square on Paul's nose. "You better pray that I don't tell Sam you've been trash talking my Imprint." Paul was somewhat dazed from the punch but not too much. He probably could have retaliated and he most likely would have in any other situation, but Imprints were a sensitive subject for the pack. Starting a fight over a pack brother's Imprint was dangerously close to betrayal. Jacob had every right to defend Edward's honor. So Paul stayed put.

"Let's go Bella," Jacob barked as he grabbed the handles of the motorcycle and started pushing it in the direction of his house. Bella followed close behind without comment.

A little while later up the road, Bella spoke up.

"I don't get it Jake," she said quietly. "I mean, before all this Imprinting business you hated Edward and the Cullens just as much as Paul does. Maybe even more so. And now you're jumping in to defend him from your own pack. I mean I just don't understand. It's like you've undergone a personality transplant, all from a little crush." Bella probably knew that an Imprint wasn't just a 'little crush' but Jacob assumed she was trying to pretend that his declaration of love for her boyfriend hadn't happened.

"It's more than some crush Bella," Jacob tried to explain the confusing and, at times, frustrating emotions that seemed to rule his life these days. "It's uh, you know, the triangle thing." Jacob stole a sideways glance at Bella to see how she would react to that. Rather than looking angry, however, she seemed pensive. So Jacob continued, "I did hate him before. Or I thought I did. He's a vampire and your boyfriend, and at the time I thought those were perfectly justifiable grounds for my contempt. But now," Jacob let out a slow sigh, "Now it's like I can see past the monster I've been taught to hate and I can see the man he really is. And I've even come to appreciate the monster. The speed, the strength, the inhuman beauty it's all so…"

"Enchanting," Bella finished for him, nodding her head. "I know. Believe me, I know. When I first met him, I thought he hated me. But despite the avoidance and the glares and the overall dangerous feel of the whole situation, I still felt drawn to him." Bella's eyes had started to water and her voice broke when she spoke again. "Please Jake. I need this chance to make things right with him. And I just know that I won't get that chance if you're still occupying his every thought."

So they were back to this. Back to Bella's initial request—for Jacob to keep his distance from Edward. He thought the whole thing over as he and Bella entered the garage so he could put away the damaged bike.

Jacob really didn't want to leave Edward alone. But then he thought of how devastated and angry Edward had been when he found out that Bella had cheated. Maybe reconnecting with her would make Edward happy again. And even Jacob could see that Edward was feeling the pull of the Imprint more and more every day. He knew Bella was right. He knew that as long as he was there to provide comfort and support, Edward would feel no need to go back to Bella. And as much as the thought of avoiding his Imprint so Edward could strengthen his relationship with Bella burned him, all Jacob wanted in the end was Edward's happiness. There had to be a reason that Edward had chosen Bella when he had met her. A real, legitimate reason. Jacob wanted Edward. _Oh_ how he wanted Edward. But if there's one thing that the Imprint had taught him, it was that he couldn't be selfish. He had to let Bella and Edward try to salvage their relationship.

"Alright, Bella," Jacob said quietly. "I'll try." Bella let out a relieved sigh and rushed to give him a hug.

"Thank you, Jake. Thank you so much."

* * *

Jasper was silently shaking in rage. He knew this had been coming. It was inevitable really, considering Bella and Edward's history. But knowing that it was coming did not make it easier to deal with.

Bella had ordered—not asked, but _ordered_ —for Alice and Jasper to stay away from her. Her wording had been harsh and her tone unrelenting. She wanted to fix the chasm that had opened up between her and Edward, and that meant keeping her distance from Alice and Jasper while Edward kept his distance from Jacob. Jasper had been very tempted to try to influence her decision by adjusting her emotions but he knew that wasn't how to go about it. And she would be furious after the fact.

Still, being banished from the object of his fascination—and, if he was being honest, slight obsession—was infuriating and frustrating. Alice was handling it much better than he was, and she did her best to sooth his anger at the situation.

Eventually, the two of them had decided that they needed to get away from the house. It had been two weeks since Bella had made her demands and it was, in a word, hell. Staying away from Bella while still in somewhat close proximity to her was an issue, and there had already been several close calls. One such close call had involved Bella and Edward tucked away in Edward's room, Jasper's overwhelming jealousy, and a vase that Esme was particularly fond of winding up shattered against the door to Edward's room.

So it was with barely suppressed anger and quite a bit of hurt feelings that Alice and Jasper left. They were going to Seattle to see if they could find Victoria. It was a poor excuse of a distraction, but Jasper just told himself it was all for the sake of Bella's safety.

As Jasper and Alice were pulling out of the garage, Jasper felt a wave of longing and sadness that didn't belong to him. His eyes flickered up to the living room window to see Bella watching their car pull away. It hurt to look at her and Jasper desperately wanted to jump out of the car, run over to her and tell her everything that Alice had seen in the future. But he couldn't. During his time with Alice, Jasper had learned the importance of letting things run their course without interfering.

Bella raised her hand in goodbye and Jasper returned the gesture. She spoke, and even though there were two panes of glass and quite a bit of distance between them, Jasper still heard her words, "Be safe." Jasper gave her a curt nod and then, before he could do something crazy and stupid, Jasper peeled out of the driveway and headed for Seattle.


	13. Chapter 13

Jacob had intended to discuss Bella's proposed separation with Edward, however it seemed that Bella had beaten him to the punch. He wondered what Bella could have said to Edward for him to go from spending all his time with Jacob and avoiding her, to now spending all his time with Bella and avoiding Jacob. But whatever she said had worked, and worked quite well. Edward was keeping his distance. And life for Jacob had taken a turn for the worse.

Jacob was pining. Every night he settled down in the trees behind Bella's house, knowing Edward was only fifty feet away but unable to even talk to him. There was a constant ache in his chest when he wasn't patrolling Bella's house and even then it only diminished slightly. Jacob supposed it was bearable enough, then again he was in so much pain lately he wondered if he was just getting used to it.

Jacob didn't want to be angry with Edward. But he was hurt. They had been making such great progress. And then Bella had gone and cheated and now Jacob was paying the price for her mistake, while Bella got to revel in Edward's attention. It wasn't fair. Jacob didn't even know if the separation was helping Bella's relationship with Edward because he never got to see his Imprint anymore except from afar.

A few weeks after the separation began, Jacob fell ill. He lost a lot of weight, was unable to sleep, and even had trouble shifting when he was supposed to go patrolling. Despite Sam's concerns and insistence that Jacob take a few nights off, Jacob ignored his own decline in health. Staying in bed wasn't going to help. He knew that. Only one thing would help: being with Edward. Jacob knew this much deep in his gut. So during his patrols, he ventured closer and closer to the house. It was never enough, though.

"Jake, just tell Edward that you need to see him more!" Sam was exasperated with Jacob's stubbornness.

"No Sam. He's been avoiding me anyway. It would just look pathetic." Sam had looked quite affronted at Jacob's belief that anything having to do with the Imprint was "pathetic".

"I'm worried about you, Jake. This isn't going to end well if you keep on like this." Jacob had pretended like he couldn't hear him.

Sam made the decision to start sending Quil with Jacob to patrol the Swan residence. Any pretense of Jacob's being there on duty vanished as he spent every night curled up against the side of the house. And when time came to return to La Push, Quil had to practically drag Jacob away.

The worst part of it all was that Jacob knew that Edward could sense how sick the distance was making him. But his Imprint didn't seem to care. Edward kept up with the separation, sticking by Bella's side and ignoring Jacob's existence.

One night Jacob showed up with Quil to the house and Bella and Edward weren't there. Jacob waited for all of ten minutes before he started pacing and whining.

 _'Jake, calm down. They're probably on their way now.'_

Jacob's reply was barely coherent.

 _'Need…Edward…can't…breathe.'_

 _'It's going to be okay, Jake.'_

But before Quil could offer any more words of comfort, Jacob collapsed into unconsciousness before his body shifted back into human form. Quil yelped in alarm.

 _'Sam! Sam, he's not breathing!'_ Quil was whining and nudging Jacob's unmoving form with his nose.

 _'I'm on my way. Get Edward!'_

 _'He's not here yet.'_

 _'Damnit. I knew something like this would happen.'_

After another few minutes, Sam's wolf arrived. When he saw Jacob he growled lowly.

 _'Help me get him on my back. Where the hell are they?'_

Almost as if on cue, a silver Volvo pulled into the driveway. When Sam saw Bella and Edward climb out, he growled again.

 _'Where the hell have you been?'_ Edward looked at Jacob's body and stiffened.

"Jacob!" Bella rushed over, pulling off her jacket to cover her friend up. "What happened? Is he okay?"

 _'He's not breathing. Edward, we need you over here.'_ Edward started forward but Bella whipped around before he could get close.

"What are you doing?" she asked, eyes wide.

"I'm guessing proximity will help?" Edward looked towards Sam who simply nodded his large head. Edward stepped forward and reached down to press a hand to Jacob's shoulder but Bella's hand gripped his wrist before he could.

"Do you have to touch him?" she looked panicked. Sam growled.

 _'We don't have time for these petty jealousies and insecurities! Edward, help us get him back to the reservation.'_ Edward nodded shakily.

"Bella, he's not breathing. We have to be quick about this or we might run out of time." Bella's wide eyes darted between Edward and Jacob's crumpled form. Finally, she jerked her head in a quick nod. She stepped back and allowed Edward to pick Jacob up and carry him bridal-style to the back seat of his car. At his touch, Jacob let out a raspy breath that sounded shallow and painful. Bella opened the door and helped ease Jacob inside. Once he was secure, shallow breaths stuttering unevenly, Edward got into the driver's seat. Bella was quick to get into the passenger seat, unwilling to leave Jacob alone with Edward.

Bella and Edward did not talk during the speedy drive to Jacob's house. Bella only spoke up when they pulled into the driveway.

"Sam can carry him inside," she said as the alpha approached the car, now human and at a hurried pace. Edward sighed but nodded.

* * *

Jacob came into consciousness slowly. First, he heard voices speaking softly. Immediately he knew one of them was Edward's and he reached out with his mind. The voices got clearer.

"…waking up…go over…" Edward's sweet musical voice soothed some of the ache that had been radiating in Jacob's chest for weeks now.

"…in the room….be fine…" another voice said. It took Jacob a little longer to realize that it was Bella's. Jacob drew comfort from the knowledge that his best friend and Imprint were here with him. Slowly his eyes opened. Everything was bleary, but Jacob could make out Bella and Edward's figures sitting close together on the other side of the room. Instinctively, Jacob reached out his hand.

"Edward…please." His voice was rough from lack of use. Neither of the figures moved though, and a whine built up inside his chest. "Please…Edward…please." His pleas were ignored however. Jacob blinked a few times and everything came into focus.

"It's okay, Jacob," Bella's voice sounded tight and panicky. "Edward's right here."

"Please…Edward…touch me." Jacob's hand was still stretched out, though it had dropped to lie on the covers. His fingers felt like they were on fire. All he needed was to touch Edward's cool skin and he knew he'd feel better. Jacob hadn't been touched by his Imprint in weeks.

"Alright alright, go," Bella sighed and shooed Edward over to Jacob, obviously feeling guilty about her request having caused so much pain for her friend.

Edward stood up and came to sit on the bed by Jacob, who didn't hesitate to curl his body around his Imprint.

Almost immediately, Jacob felt relief. The heat in his hands was receding and his aching chest relaxed. He hadn't realized how much he had been struggling to breath until his lungs unclenched and he sucked in the sweet cool air that smelled and tasted purely of Edward. Jacob would have been embarrassed that he was practically nuzzling Edward's thigh like a dog, but he was too immersed in his Imprint to care.

Throat still sore, Jacob chose to communicate with Edward telepathically.

 _'Please touch me.'_

Edward ignored him, looking straight ahead at the wall and kept his hands clasped firmly in his lap. Jacob whined at the indifference that his Imprint was suddenly displaying.

 _'Edward, please.'_

Still no response. Jacob was getting desperate. Why wasn't Edward touching him? He had never had a problem with touching Jacob before all this separation nonsense had started. In fact, more often than not, Edward had been the one to initiate contact between them. Jacob didn't like this new stoic Edward who pretended not to hear his pleas for help. And while Jacob recognized that Edward was his own person who could make his own decisions, he couldn't help the feeling that Bella was responsible for the apathy Edward was showing towards him now.

* * *

For the next two weeks, Jacob endured Edward's stoicism with barely concealed contempt. Bella had agreed to let them have their alone time, clearly still feeling guilty about the hell she had put Jacob through. But Jacob's hopes that things could go back to how they were before the separation were crushed the minute Edward walked into his house the day after Jacob's collapse.

"We're going to lay down some ground rules," Edward had said, voice so cold and flat that Jacob physically flinched. Edward ignored the small movement and continued. "You are allowed to touch my hands and arms. Nothing else. And only for as long as you need to alleviate your pain. And I'll know if you're stalling," Edward tapped his fingers at his temple.

"Edward, why—"

"Second," Edward continued as if he hadn't heard Jacob, "I will no longer be coming to visit you at night. The fact that I was coming here so late was inappropriate and will not happen again." Jacob felt like he was being lectured.

"You—"

" _Third_ ," Jacob was starting to get annoyed at getting constantly interrupted, "I will only be making my visits in your room for as long as it takes for you to get back on your feet. After that, we will be meeting somewhere public so you won't be tempted." Jacob's jaw dropped. Now he was angry.

"So _I_ won't be tempted?" he raged. " _You're_ the one who was always putting your hands all over _me_. Don't even try to pretend that this is some effort to ward me off. These stupid rules are all so _you_ won't be tempted." Edward's mouth tightened into a hard line.

"Regardless," he said coolly, "those are my stipulations. If you are unable to abide by them then my visits will cease. Understood?" Jacob rolled his eyes. He wanted to argue but he wanted to touch Edward more and all the fighting was making his chest hurt.

"Whatever," he gritted out. "Come here." Edward settled primly on the edge of the bed and Jacob snatched at his hand.

A few days later, Edward walked into Jacob's room, took one look at him, and then declared Jacob was healed and they could continue their visits outside of the house. Without another word, he turned on his heel and headed for the front door. Jacob growled irritably and followed Edward out of the house. When he reached the porch, it was to the sight of Edward standing still as a statue, clearly waiting for Jacob to pick somewhere to go.

Jacob roughly took Edward's hand and dragged him off in the direction of the beach. It wasn't exactly public but it wasn't Jacob's bedroom so Edward couldn't complain too much.

When they arrived at the shore, Edward extracted his hand from Jacob's. Jacob wanted to argue but the itching heat in his hands didn't return so all he could do was grumble. They walked the length of the beach in silence. All their interactions had been silent so far. Jacob hated it. He had tried numerous times to make conversation but Edward's responses were so stilted and cold that Jacob soon grew weary of trying to speak with him.

Jacob could tell that the Imprint was confused. It couldn't understand why they were spending so much time alone together but not connecting more progressively each day like they had before the separation. And there were new…urges. Jacob had been extremely embarrassed when he finally broke down and talked to Sam about it.

"I'm still not quite understanding what the issue is, Jacob," Sam pried. And with good reason. All Jacob had said so far was that he had "needs" but he was too humiliated to explain what those were. "I can't help you if I don't know what the problem is, Jake," Sam said softly, trying to be as sensitive as possible. Jacob buried his face in his hands before speaking again.

"I have…new… _sexual_ ….urges, Sam." Jacob's face was beet red. Sam looked at him oddly.

"More so than usual?" Jacob only nodded in response. "That's normal, Jake. When I Imprinted on Emily, I was still with Leah. My sex drive was completely thrown out of whack. I was no longer able to be intimate with Leah, and the thoughts that I had around Emily…" Sam shook his head, a blush of his own starting to spread across his cheeks.

"What am I going to do, Sam?" Jacob despaired. These new urges mixed with the cold shoulder he was receiving from Edward were not a good combination. Sam suddenly gave him a sly look.

"Well…Edward can read minds, right?" Sam smirked and Jacob's eyes widened.

"No!" Jacob was adamant. "No, no, no! That'd be _so_ embarrassing."

"Jake, think about it," Sam urged, a gleeful smile on his face, "the only explanation for these new urges is some level of reciprocation on Edward's part. Show him what he's missing, yeah?" Sam nudged him and Jacob glowered.

"Not. Going. To. Happen," Jacob bit out.

However, sitting here on the beach with an uncooperative Imprint and no conversation, Jacob's mind started to wander. He usually tried to avoid that whenever he was around Edward but the silence between them and the gentle crash of the waves made him pensive. Jacob thought back to the dream he had the night before.

 _Edward's cool fingers, exploring and touching areas that Jacob had never before thought could be pleasurable. And how after he had woken up from the dream, sweaty and aroused, Jacob had experimented. He had let his hands wander down and rub at the skin behind his balls and then further back into the unknown. Jacob had been surprised at how good it felt to rub at his—_

 _Ahem_.

Edward's awkward cough pulled him out of his reverie. Jacob startled as he realized that his thoughts hadn't been anywhere near private. He looked over towards Edward who was shifting uncomfortably and Jacob's eyes dropped down to his Imprint's lap. His eyes widened at the bulge he saw there. Was Edward… _aroused?_

"I can help you with that." The words left Jacob's mouth before he could stop them and damn this Imprint for sexing him up so much. Edward shot him a glare.

"I don't think so, Jake." Edward's voice wasn't as cold as it had been for the last two weeks. It was breathy and rough, and the sound of that voice calling him by the nickname he hadn't heard from Edward in weeks went straight to Jacob's cock. Jacob wanted to hear more, so he allowed his stream of consciousness to continue, though now it was more directed.

 _The burn had been pretty painful at first, but Jacob let instincts guide him. He pushed his finger in deeper, and the stretch was a mix of both pleasure and pain. His mind swam with thoughts of Edward, the one from his dreams who didn't ignore him, who let Jacob touch whatever he wanted…kiss whatever he wanted…lick whatever he—_

And suddenly Edward was gone. Jacob looked around the now empty beach, both bewildered and a little amused. The Imprint sang with glee. Jacob had found something that he could use to get underneath Edward's cold walls and back to the man that Jacob had fallen in love with. He wasn't even that upset that Edward had taken off. The joy of having found something that made his Imprint tick far outweighed the sadness at Edward's departure.

Despite this, Jacob was hit with a small wave of panic. Would Edward stay away forever now? Jacob knew his Imprint wasn't ready to face his feelings for Jacob, however obvious they might be. But Jacob hadn't broken any rules. He hadn't touched him anywhere not allowed and they had been in a public place…well, it was more public than his bedroom. Edward was a bit of a coward when it came to how the Imprint made him feel, but he was also a man of his word. Jacob was confident that Edward would continue to visit. He had to…right?

The next afternoon when Edward arrived, he was his cold and composed self again. Jacob tried not to laugh as he followed Edward down to the beach. Before he could even crack open his naughty thoughts to share with his Imprint, Edward turned to face him.

"Bella and I are engaged."

All the air left Jacob's lungs and the smile dropped from his face. His legs went weak and his heart clenched so tightly Jacob thought he might actually be having a heart attack.

"W-what?" Though Jacob had heard him just fine, he prayed to every deity he had ever heard of that Edward had misspoke. Edward was cruel enough to say it again.

"Bella and I are engaged."

The implications of those words all came crashing down on Jacob at once, crumbling his world to ash. Without thinking, he phased.

Edward looked a bit taken aback at Jacob's shift but he quickly regained his composure.

"Now really. That was unnecessary," he said and Jacob growled.

Jacob couldn't tell if he was going to rip Edward limb from limb—a feeling he had assumed was all but lost to him by now—or pounce on him and claim what was his then and there. Before he could do either, however, the chirping of a cell phone stopped him.

Keeping a wary eye on him, Edward answered his phone.

"Hello?...Alice….What's wrong?" Something close to panic flickered in his eyes as he listened. "Understood…Right, see you then." Edward hung up and turned to Jacob, all coldness gone but still serious. "Victoria is forming a vampire army. She's coming back to Forks. Soon."

A wave of fear passed through Jacob but it was quickly replaced by anger. He growled. Edward nodded.

"Yes, I know. Gather the pack and come to the house. I'll get Bella. Have your father call Charlie and invite him over." Jacob felt a small stab of pain at the mention of Bella but this was no time to let jealousy consume him.

 _'Right. Be safe.'_ Edward nodded and then he was gone.

Jacob took off at full speed towards Sam and Emily's.

* * *

"Jasper, slow down!" Alice didn't usually chide him for speeding but even Jasper knew that he was being more reckless than usual, weaving in between cars and even going off road for a few moments to get around some particularly bothersome traffic.

"Newborns, Alice. If they get too out of hand and the Volturi finds out…" He didn't say anything else.

Alice knew that newborns were dangerous. Every vampire did. But she had never encountered them in quite the same way as Jasper had. She doubted many vampires had. And she knew that the thought of so many humans being turned into vampires and then possibly destroyed by the Volturi reminded Jasper of his time with Maria and all the newborns he had been forced to kill then.

"Jasper, I can't imagine what this must feel like for you but now is not the time to let your emotions rule you. Bella needs you to be focused. And if any of those newborns stand a chance of surviving Victoria's attack, you're going to need to strategize." Unfortunately, Alice knew the chances of any of the newborns surviving was minimal. And any of them that went for Bella would have to be immediately destroyed. But she also knew that Jasper had a soft spot for newborns, and she wasn't about to dismiss that.

"Bella…Bella….Bella," Jasper repeated her name like a mantra.

"That's right, think of Bella," Alice soothed. "She needs you in top form if we're going to protect her." She bit her lip. "I'm so sorry, sweetheart."

Jasper reached for her hand and held it tightly. Alice debated sharing her other piece of news with Jasper, but decided that she'd rather Jasper find out now than when he was around Bella.

"Jasper…there's something else you need to know," Alice spoke softly.

"Whatever it is, I'm sure I can handle it," he replied, sensing her apprehension. "What can be worse than a newborn army coming straight for Bella?" he barked out a humorless laugh. Alice winced.

"Jasper…Edward proposed. She said yes."

Jasper crashed the car.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Buckle up, folks**

If there were one word to describe the Cullen residence at this time, that word would be _tense._

The wolves were tense because they had to shift into human form in order to all fit inside the house and only a few of them felt any level of comfort or ease at being human around a large group of vampires.

The Cullens were tense because the only creatures in existence that could kill them—aside from other vampires—were sitting in their living room.

Jasper and Jacob were tense because every time they looked at the large oval ring on Bella's finger, they wanted to rip it off and crush it, as if that would nullify her engagement to Edward altogether.

Bella was tense because being near Alice and Jasper for the first time in weeks did things to her stomach that not even Edward's proposal had done.

And everyone was tense because an army of newborn vampires was heading their way and as of right now, only one of them had any idea how to go about killing them.

Carlisle was the first one to speak. And he got right to the point.

"We all have the same goal in mind. Keep Bella and the rest of the humans safe. Nothing should come between us and that objective. If we are going to be effective in this, we need to put aside any rivalries, at least for now. Jasper—" Carlisle indicated to the blond vampire who was currently sulking in the corner like a child, "—has intimate knowledge and experience when it comes to fighting and killing newborns." Bella looked towards Jasper with hope and fascination in her eyes and he straightened up a bit, preening under her attention, however brief. Edward snorted.

The wolves and Cullens arranged to meet for Jasper to train them all how to fight and kill newborns. Jasper emphasized his wish to save as many of them from destruction as possible, as they had no choice in what they had become. The wolves didn't seem very receptive to his request, but he had already assumed that would be the case. At this point, he would be happy if he could save just one of the newborns.

The training sessions were difficult. The wolves didn't appreciate Jasper's hands-on approach at teaching but he insisted that the only way they could learn was through practical demonstration. However, once Leah tried to go for Alice's throat while they were sparring, Carlisle and Sam agreed that a break was necessary.

Jasper looked over to where Edward was translating between Sam's wolf form and Carlisle. He wouldn't be able to speak to Bella without Edward noticing but he didn't want to be interrupted. She looked a little wary as he approached her but he could sense her faint arousal as well.

"Bella," he smiled gently and resisted the urge to reach out and cup her face.

"J-Jasper," Bella responded shakily. "I really appreciate this," she gestured to where the wolves were huddled together, assumedly going over the techniques Jasper had taught them earlier.

"Anything to protect you," he replied seriously and Bella looked uncomfortable at that. Jasper got straight to the point. "Why are you marrying him, Bella?" She glared.

"That's none of your business," she hissed. Jasper smiled wryly.

"The fact that your answer is 'that's none of your business' instead of 'because I love him' tells me all I need to know, love." Jasper turned on his heel to walk over to Alice, slightly proud at his ability to stay calm around Bella.

Jasper didn't quail under the glower that Edward had shot his way. Instead he glared back. Jasper knew quite well how Edward felt—or rather, didn't feel—towards Bella. This whole engagement was such a sham it was laughable.

"Hey Jasper," he turned to see Jacob jogging towards them in human form. Alice and Jasper had formed a sort of bond with Jacob since they had returned from Seattle. Unrequited love was a bitch, but a little easier to bare if you had someone to share your frustrations with.

"Jacob," Jasper nodded towards him. He felt bad for the boy. While Alice and Jasper's affections for Bella were by no means unsubstantial, what Jacob was going through seemed so much worse. All the pain that Bella's rejection had caused for Alice and Jasper was mostly emotional. But for Jacob, the sting of Edward's dismissal of his love manifested itself physically. Jasper could feel it sometimes during their meetings with the wolves. Jacob would sometimes attempt to approach Edward, who would answer him curtly before brushing him off and returning to Bella's side.

"We can't let Edward fight," Jacob said. "I know I can get Bella on board with the idea."

"Bella wants Edward to change her before the fight," Alice said. Jacob turned to her with wide eyes.

"Is she nuts?" Jacob had learned that Bella would eventually have to be turned soon. He had learned all about the Volturi from Edward. But to turn her now? Amongst everything else that was going on? The idea was ludicrous.

"She thinks that the strength she would get from being a newborn would be useful," Jasper said, eyes not deviating from the girl in question. He growled lowly as Bella placed a hand on Edward's chest.

" _Would_ it be useful?" Jacob asked, now curious. If Bella was used as an asset instead of needing to be protected as a fragile human, it could give them a much greater advantage.

"Edward doesn't want to turn her," Jasper sighed. "I don't know what he's waiting for. The Volturi will respond to this newborn situation at some point. They've drawn too much attention to themselves in the news." Jacob looked at him thoughtfully.

"You want her to turn," he mused out loud. Jasper glanced at him out of the corner of his eye before turning his attention back to Bella. He only nodded in response.

"She would certainly be safer," Alice said. "But Edward would never allow it. And since Bella is Edward's—" Jasper snarled loudly at that, drawing the attention of wolves and vampires alike in the clearing, "—he has the final say on whether or not she turns. And even if we did ignore that, he would read our minds before we could even put the plan into action. Then our chances of getting near her to do it would be nonexistent." Jacob nodded.

"So she stays human then," he concluded. Alice sighed.

"I wish I could See how this is going to go down. Everything was so clear before Victoria decided to start making newborns. But now that she's coming, so many decisions are up in the air. It could go so many ways. And the wolves' involvement makes everything even more difficult to See." Jacob had learned about the nuances of Alice's gift. He had been amused that the wolves' participation in the fight made it pretty much impossible for her to See. But he also acknowledged that they were at a severe disadvantage without her ability. At this point, she could only See when Victoria and the newborns would arrive in Forks. They had a week to finish preparing, and everyone was on edge.

The three of them snapped to attention at the sight of Bella approaching. Jacob noticed the way that Jasper stood taller and fidgeted with the sleeves of his shirt. If he didn't know that Jasper was a vampire, he would have thought that he was just another teenage boy, nervous and sweaty in the face of his crush. It was kinda cute.

"Jasper, Alice," Bella greeted stiffly, keeping her distance. She then turned towards him. "Jake, can I talk to you?" Jacob nodded and moved to join her. Jasper growled. Jacob laughed.

"Easy there, killer. She's hardly my type." Jacob winked and Jasper looked a little ashamed at his own behavior. Jacob felt for him. He could understand the jealousy and possessiveness all too well.

Once he and Bella were a decent distance away from everyone else—though it was impossible to be completely out of earshot unless they moved several miles away—Bella turned to face him, a serious look on her face.

"I don't want Edward to fight," she said simply, crossing her arms. Jacob was glad they were on the same page about that but…

"What do you expect me to do about it? I agree he shouldn't fight but I hardly have any say over his actions. If anything, I thought you might be able to convince him." Jacob was a little worried. If Bella had already tried to talk Edward out of fighting and failed, then there was little else they could do.

"I…have a theory," Bella started, looking suddenly uncomfortable. Jacob gestured for her to continue. "I think…he might be planning to fight because of you."

Jacob's jaw dropped.

"Me?" he scoffed.

"I think he wants to be there. In case something goes wrong. In case you get hurt." Jacob just stared for a minute before bursting out into bitter laughter.

"Oh Bells," Jacob chortled, wiping a tear from his eye, "thanks for the laugh. I needed that."

"It's not a joke! Edward wants to be there to protect you." Jacob had no idea why she insisted on making this argument.

"Bells, Edward has made it very clear that he doesn't give two shits about me."

"You know that's not true," Bella bristled. "I _know_ you know that's not true. He's been visiting you hasn't he? If he didn't care he would have just stayed away and let you die." Jacob looked at her, curiosity burning more now than ever.  
"What did you say to him, Bella? What did you say to make him change? Before you asked me to stay away, he and I were getting along. Things were good. But now…" Jacob trailed off.

"Jake, that's not—"

"Tell me!" he interrupted. "My Imprint acts like he hates me and I know it's because of something you said to him. Just tell me, Bells. I'm miserable. You owe me this much."

Bella bit her lip, thinking. After a few minutes, she let out a sigh.

"You can't tell Alice and Jasper," she said. Jacob nodded. Bella sighed again and dropped her voice to barely a whisper. "I…threatened to tell people at school. About him and his family." Jacob was speechless. Bella continued. "The Volturi…they kill humans who know about vampires in order to protect their secret. It's the reason why I need to be turned soon. I knew it was the only thing I could say that would make him listen to me."

"Bella…how could you?" Jacob was stunned. He knew that whatever Bella had said to Edward was something powerful, but this…

"I knew he wouldn't let it happen. It was all I had." Tears were starting to form in her eyes. Jacob looked at her coldly.

"You don't deserve him, Bella." Before he could do something stupid, like hit her, Jacob stormed off.

* * *

It was the day before the newborns were going to start making their way into Forks.

Bella was still human.

Jacob was still not talking to her.

Jasper was still jealous of every interaction between Bella and Edward.

And Alice was still frustrated with her faulty Sight.

The only thing that _had_ changed was Edward's decision to fight. To Bella and Jacob's relief, he had agreed to bow out once Jacob had casually mentioned that he would be refraining from the fight in favor of protecting Bella and keeping her far away from the newborns and Victoria. He really didn't want to, because he was still furious with her. But it worked. Edward wasn't fighting and that was all Jacob cared about.

With Billy and Charlie safely away on a fishing trip, the only thing left to do was hide Bella in the mountains. Much to his chagrin, Jacob was charged with bringing her to the spot they would be making camp. Bella had already laid a false trail with Edward and they needed to mask her scent with Jacob's. He had been planning on ignoring her during the journey, but of course—Bella being Bella—she was not about to let that fly.

"I'm not going anywhere until you talk to me," she said, hands on her hips. Jacob sighed. He could just pick her up and carry her without her consent but then she might tell Edward. It could also affect how well her scent was masked and they really didn't need to screw that up at this point.

"Fine. What do you want?" Bella flinched at his tone.

"Jake…" she started.

"Did you know that Alice and Jasper love you?" he asked. She looked taken aback.

"Wha—"

"They _love_ you Bella and yet you're wasting your time with someone who's only with you because you threatened him."

"Edward loves me!" she argued, getting angry. Jacob snorted. Anyone with eyes could see that wasn't the case.

"Why don't you want to be with Alice and Jasper?"

"They…it…that's not a relationship! They already have each other. I don't know why they decided to fool around with me but something like that can't last forever!" Bella's eyes started to tear up.

"And you think a relationship based off of guilt and threats will last forever?" Jacob shouted back at her.

Neither of them spoke for several minutes. Jacob sighed and walked over to Bella, scooping her up in his arms. She didn't put up a fight this time.

"I love him," Bella said quietly.

"Believe me, I know the feeling," he said bitterly. Bella was quiet for a moment.

"We tried getting…intimate with each other."

"What the hell makes you think I want to hear about this?" Jacob was not about to listen to what Edward and Bella got up to behind closed doors.

"It didn't work." Jacob gave her a confused look.

"What didn't work?"

"Getting intimate."

"Will you just say sex, Bella?" he was getting exasperated.

"He won't have sex with me." Jacob almost stopped in his tracks but managed to keep going. Bella continued. "He's worried he's going to hurt me."

"Well, he makes a fair point. You humans are pretty fragile."

"Jasper and Alice weren't worried about hurting me," she continued. "They were pretty enthusiastic."

"Yeah well, you don't want to be with them. What's the big deal?"  
"I think Edward's lying. About why he doesn't want to have sex. Jasper is the newest member of their family and has the lowest level of control when it comes to bloodlust. But I never felt like I was in danger of getting hurt with them. He fed often and they were both so gentle with me…" Bella trailed off, obviously lost in thought about her confusing relationship with Alice and Jasper.

Jacob wasn't sure how to respond. He knew that Edward was burying his feelings for Jacob under a mountain and a half of denial. But he had never considered how that might affect Edward's physical relationship with Bella. They had been dating for a couple of years. Even when Edward had left Bella, they had still belonged to each other. Surely his desire to be with Bella involved _some_ level of physical attraction. Maybe it was because Edward put on such a convincing show of apathy and stoicism when he was around him, but Jacob had never thought that the Imprint was having that much of an effect on Edward and Bella's relationship since Edward started visiting again.

"Jake?" Bella's voice pulled him out of his thoughts.

"I'm not the person you should be having this conversation with, Bella. Talk to Edward if it's bothering you this much."

They were coming up on the campsite now. Edward had already set up a tent and he quickly ushered Bella inside. Jacob didn't follow them in. Instead, he shucked out of his pants and shifted.

 _'We've arrived at the campsite.'_

 _'Good. Alice says there's supposed to be a snowstorm tonight so sit tight and stay safe.'_ Sam's voice said through the link.

 _'Sure sure.'_

 _'We'll be setting out at dawn to wait out their arrival. They should be showing up close to noon. Stay in touch.'_

Jacob settled down into the snow, unbothered by the freezing cold of the late afternoon. His ears perked up at the rustling of the tent. It was Edward.

"It's starting to get cold," he commented.

 _'I hadn't noticed.'_ Jacob was feeling rather sulky and even being around his Imprint wasn't helping his mood right now.

"You should come inside the tent."

 _'Maybe later.'_ Edward sighed quietly before climbing gracefully back into the tent.

Sam hadn't been kidding about the snowstorm. It had started just before sunset and already the snow was coming in sideways.

"Jake. I need your help," Edward called from the tent. Jacob's heart clenched at the nickname. He was never going to get over that. Jacob shifted and slid his pants back on before unzipping the tent and crawling inside. He was met with an odd and slightly worrisome sight.

Edward was crowded into a corner and Bella was on the opposite side of the tent. At first, Jacob thought maybe they had an argument but then he noticed Bella's shivering body, chattering teeth, and blue lips.

Without a word, Jacob went over to her before pulling her close and letting his body heat thaw her out.

"Th-thanks," she managed to say between the clacking of her teeth.

"No problem, Bells," he sighed. "Try to get some rest." Bella nodded, snuggling closer into him. It took another few minutes for her to stop shivering but once the tremors stopped, she managed to fall asleep.

Jacob still wasn't ready to face Edward, so he quickly hunkered down as well.

"I'm going to try to get some sleep too. Just because the fight isn't coming to us, doesn't mean I shouldn't be prepared." Edward only nodded in response, grimacing somewhat at Jacob's arm wrapped securely around Bella. Jacob rolled his eyes before closing them, willing himself to drift off to sleep.

He awoke only hours later to the sound of the wind howling nosily, the tent flapping loudly under the onslaught. Bella was still fast asleep.

Edward was watching the two of them from the other side of the tent as Jacob shifted Bella so she was once again secure in the sleeping bag. It was quiet for several minutes and then Edward broke the silence.

"It's a good thing you're here," he said. "It would have been quite ironic if she ended up freezing to death before Victoria even got to Forks."

"One of the few perks of being a wolf," Jacob replied, not looking at his Imprint. "Body heat, super senses, and virtual immortality. Everything else is just a hassle." Jacob knew he didn't have to explain which part in particular was the hassle. Edward was intelligent. He could figure it out.

They listened to Bella's deep and even breathing for a while, before Jacob spoke up again.

"She told me that you—"

"I know," Edward interrupted, looking unhappy and uncomfortable. "I rather wish she hadn't as it's quite personal information but I suppose I can see where she's coming from."

"Well…what's stopping you?" Jacob asked, genuinely curious. Edward gave him a very pointed look. _Oh_. "You can't run from it forever," Jacob said quietly. Edward didn't respond. Bella whimpered in her sleep.

"N-no…no…" she mumbled. Jacob shifted her closer and she calmed, breathing evening out again.

"If we weren't naturally enemies..." Edward began. Jacob tilted his head a bit in question. "I might actually _like_ you."

"Then you need to know," Jacob had to say it now. After having told pretty much everyone but Edward, he needed Edward to hear it out loud, "That I'm in love with you."

Edward looked down, a serious look on his face. Jacob kept going. He wanted to get it all out of his system. Everything he had learned over the last few days, and everything he'd been feeling since Bella's brilliant separation request.

"You're with her because of some threat that you know she's not going to follow through on. You're keeping up this charade of a relationship and for what? I can't understand why it's even gone on for this long. You have to know that it won't end well for either of you."

Edward looked down at Bella, who was sleeping peacefully once again. His face was a mixture of apprehension and thoughtfulness. Jacob continued.

"Look, I know she's in love with you."

Edward looked up, brow furrowing. "I don't want that. I never wanted that. Ever since I met her I've been protecting her from danger. So much of which has been because of me. Because of her association with me. I almost killed her that first day in school. And then James came after her. And then Jasper lost control and tried to bite her. And then the Volturi found out that she knows about us. And now Victoria's coming back. I've only made her life so much more dangerous than it ever had to be." Jacob could see the remorse on Edward's face. "I just…I feel like I owe her this much. She wants this relationship, as counterfeit as it may be."

"What about Alice and Jasper?" Jacob asked. They were his friends now and he felt he should speak on their behalf.

"What about them?"

"They _do_ actually love her. And they want to be with her."

"I know. I know they do. And I don't doubt that they would take great care of her. But she doesn't want to be with them." Jacob gave him a look. Surely Edward couldn't be this dense.

"Of course she does. She just doesn't understand how a relationship like that works. She thinks that after they've had their fun, she'll be left on her own again. Her feelings towards Alice and Jasper are confusing for her, but she _does_ want to be with them."

Edward looked at the girl in question, and Jacob could see how desperate Edward was to read her thoughts.

"It's not that complicated," Jacob said. "You are both in a relationship you don't actually want to be in, because you're scared of the relationships you _do_ want to be in."

Edward chuckled. "Since when did you become so perceptive?" Jacob ignored the jibe, still serious. He took a deep breath.

"You have to consider that I might be better for you."

Edward smiled softly. "I _have_ considered that." Jacob's heart swelled.

"Nice," he said, nodding in approval. Edward laughed again. Jacob decided it was now or never. "Choose me." There was a beat of silence and then…

"That's an intriguing idea," Edward said, small smile still in place.

And damn did Jacob want to lunge across the tent to kiss that beautiful smile. He almost did, too. But before he could make a move, a howl sounded from far off.

Jacob was viciously ripped from the warm and cozy feeling that had bloomed in his chest as he remembered with sharp clarity why they were in a tent in the middle of a snowstorm. Jacob slowly extracted himself from Bella.

"I better go see what that is all about," he said before ducking outside.

The moment he had shifted, thoughts started to bombard his mind. He was glad he didn't have to handle the onslaught alone, as Edward would be able to hear everything too.

 _'They're coming earlier than we thought.'_ Sam sounded panicked. Jacob looked towards the sky, where the sun had just started to break over the horizon.

 _'Victoria's not with them.'_ Jacob's heart stopped before picking back up and beating double time.

 _'Any idea where she might be?'_ He asked, though he had a feeling he knew the answer. If Victoria hadn't fallen for the false trail then that could only mean…

"She's on her way here," Edward's voice stated calmly. Jacob jumped, having not heard the vampire exit the tent.

 _'Jake, I'm sending Leah and Seth your way. You guys are sitting ducks out there.'_

 _'Thanks for that vote of confidence, Sam.'_ Edward chuckled next to him.

"Don't worry, I'll be able to smell her from a good few miles off," he said, reaching out to stroke Jacob's fur. Jacob practically purred under the attention before hastily moving away.

"Jake?" Edward quirked an eyebrow at him. Jacob shook his head, unwilling to have this kind of conversation while in wolf form. Doing away with any sense of modesty—Edward had already seen him naked before anyway—Jacob shifted back into human form, yanking his pants out of the fresh powdery snow and tugging them on.

"You can't keep jerking me around like this," he said angrily. Edward had the good grace to look properly ashamed.

"I know, it's just…it's hard…you—"

"You feel something else for me. You just won't admit it."

Edward smiled sadly. "I know."

Jacob was a little surprised at that. But it was progress and he was willing to take it. He moved towards Edward and then several things happened all at once. Edward's eyes darted towards the forest, a low growl building in his throat. He crouched down and Jacob knew right away that Victoria was close. A confused expression flitted across Edward's face before his eyes widened.

"No!" he whipped around towards the tent but it was too late.

The tent was torn to shreds. An unfamiliar leech had a terrified Bella held securely in his grasp. Jacob got ready to shift but the leech held up a finger.

"Now now, none of that," he grinned. "If you even make a move towards phasing you can say goodbye to your little friend here." He yanked on Bella's hair harshly and she let out a small whimper. Jacob immediately backed down.

How could they have been so stupidly unprepared?

"Well isn't this just a lovely sight?" a feminine voice trilled from behind them. Keeping the male leech in his periphery, Jacob slowly turned around to see another vampire with fiery red hair and a feral grin on her face.

Victoria had arrived.


	15. Chapter 15

**WARNING: EXTREMELY GRAPHIC VIOLENCE**

Everything was still for several seconds and then Victoria made her move. She started towards Jacob and Edward growled lowly, moving to guard him. Victoria wagged a finger at him, grin still in place.

"Tsk, come along Edward. Surely you don't want anything to happen to your precious Bella? Riley, kindly show Edward the error of his ways."

Jacob watched in horror as the male leech—Riley—pulled Bella's hair to the side and hovered his bared teeth over her shoulder. Jacob whipped around to snarl at Victoria, who had stopped moving towards him.

"Actually, I've thought of a way to make this much more fun!" In a flash, Victoria was standing by Riley's side. She pulled Bella out of his grasp before locking eyes with Jacob.

"Wolf, approach if you want the human girl to live," Victoria sang before bending her head to lick her way up Bella's neck. Well that was just a no brainer. Jacob took a step forward.

"Jake, stop!" Edward growled. Jacob's body froze, following the command without his consent. He turned incredulous eyes on his Imprint.

Edward hadn't ordered him around since the early days of the Imprint. He had altered his speech and phrasing so he never accidentally ordered Jacob to do anything. Edward had explained that he didn't like the idea of taking away Jacob's free will. But now…now he was ordering Jacob around on _purpose_.

 _'What the hell are you doing?'_

"Jake, you can't…" Edward pleaded.

"I'm _waiting_!" Victoria snarled, growing impatient and tugging on Bella's hair.

Edward's eyes darted helplessly from Bella to Jacob.

 _'Release me, Edward. Now is not the time to be making any risky moves.'_ Edward sighed before nodding stiffly.

"Go," he said quietly, allowing Jacob to continue his approach towards Victoria. She was grinning madly.

"A vampire ordering around a wolf. What's that all about dearie?" she asked him. Jacob didn't respond, eyes locked on the teeth nipping lightly at Bella's throat. Where the hell were Leah and Seth? "Answer me!" Victoria demanded.

"It's…nothing," Jacob said stupidly, trying his best to come up with a lie; but the fear and adrenaline pumping through him was messing with his brain function. Victoria laughed.

"Surely you don't think I believe that. No matter, I have other ways of getting information I need. Riley." She nodded towards the vampire standing next to her.

"NO!" Edward called, clearly having heard through Victoria's head whatever command had been conveyed. The sound of Edward's desperate cry was like a punch through the chest.

No, wait.

Jacob _had_ been punched through the chest. He looked down, bewildered, at the pale white arm protruding sickeningly from his chest. Riley was looking at him with glee and Jacob whimpered as icy fingers squeezed around his heart. _I'm going to die._

"Jake!" Bella cried out, struggling in Victoria's grasp.

"Now, Edward," Victoria continued as if nothing particularly interesting had just happened, "why don't you tell me what I want to know before your little wolf here loses an organ?" Jacob locked eyes with Edward, who was staring back at him with horror.

Jacob's vision was starting to go black.

 _'Edward…'m dying…save Bella.'_

"Jake, no no no!" Edward sounded like he was sobbing.

 _'Love…you.'_ And with that, Jacob's world went dark.

* * *

Edward watched in horror as Jacob's mind went blank before he slumped over. His ears strained for the sound of heartbeat but…nothing.

Riley's arm slipped out of Jacob's chest, covered in blood. Jacob's body fell limply to the ground. Victoria looked on disinterestedly.

"That's a pity. I thought wolves were tougher than that. Oh well, it was a fun experiment. Now, Edward. Dear, dear Edward. You're going to watch as I suck pretty little Bella dry. And then, I'm going to kill you." With those words, Victoria latched onto Bella's neck and started drinking. Edward got ready to pounce, knowing he had to at least try to save Bella.

But before he made his move, Victoria was knocked over. Edward watched with mixed relief and anxiety as Jasper's rage rained down on the red head. Jasper wasted no time in gripping Victoria around the neck tightly and wrenching her head from her shoulders. It all happened within seconds.

"No!" Riley growled out, making a lunge for Jasper. Edward rushed into action. This was the man who had killed Jacob. Edward was going to get his revenge. Remembering everything Jasper had taught him, Edward made sure not to go for the obvious attack. He darted around Riley, confusing him. He had to wait for an opening and…there! Edward came at him from the side, teeth sinking into Riley's shoulder. The newborn howled in pain before throwing him off. Damn, newborns were strong. Riley darted after him but Edward managed to evade the attack. They circled each other slowly. Edward's eyes glanced at Jacob's still form and his dead heart clenched in pain. Jacob…

"Edward! Look out!" Jasper's voice called out.

Edward looked back just in time to see Riley coming at him. Edward tried to move to the side but Riley followed him, latching his teeth onto the spot right above his right shoulder blade. Edward growled.

He felt Riley's teeth suddenly being ripped off of him and he turned to see Jasper holding him in a headlock. Jasper started to squeeze.

"No!" Edward called out. Jasper gave him a look that was equal parts confusion and exasperation. Edward stared Riley down. "I want to do it." Jasper shrugged and pinned Riley's arms behind his back before forcing him down to his knees. Edward approached quickly before Riley could regain his strength.

"M-mercy," the newborn muttered. Edward snarled.

"No. You don't get my mercy." Without another word, Edward lunged forward. Instead of going straight for the head though, he punched his hand through Riley's chest. Riley gasped and tried to move away but Jasper's hold on him and the weakness that resulted from the new injury didn't allow him to get very far. Edward squeezed the dead heart in his hand.

"You killed my wolf," he growled, digging his nails into the organ.

"P-please!" Riley called out. But the plea fell on deaf ears.

Without another word, Edward yanked out Riley's heart before holding it up for the newborn to see. Riley looked on with shock.

"Now you know how it feels," Edward snarled before lunging forward and wrenching Riley's head from his body.

"Damn, Edward," Jasper let out a low whistle. "That was pretty intense."

"Burn them," was all Edward said in reply. Jasper nodded.

Edward watched numbly as the flames went up and Jasper started tossing body parts into the fire. He didn't look at Jacob's body again. It hurt too much to do so. Thankful for the distraction, Edward rushed over to Bella's unconscious body only to find Alice already there. His sister was covering her mouth and nose with one hand while inspecting Bella's wounds gently with the other.

There was a large gash in Bella's throat from when Victoria was knocked away from her neck. Alice looked over to Edward helplessly.

"You can do it, Alice," he encouraged. "I'll pull you away if you lose control. But it has to happen now. There's not enough venom in her system. Victoria sucked it all out while she was drinking. You have to hurry or she's going to die from blood loss." Alice's eyes turned steely and she nodded with determination before turning back to Bella. Alice bent over, leaning down next to her ear.

"I love you, Bella. I'm going to make everything alright," she whispered, though Edward could still hear her. He watched in fascination as Alice swiftly bit down on the undamaged side of Bella's neck. She pulled back quickly.

"Another," Edward instructed. Alice nodded before striking out again, this time at Bella's left hand and then her right. Alice had pulled back again.

"Another," Edward repeated, unsure of how much it would take to bring Bella back. Alice hesitated. Edward placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. Alice leaned in one last time to administer a bite to Bella's left and right thighs. Deciding that was enough, Edward pulled Alice back and away. Bella would hopefully survive. But Jacob…

Edward bit down on the grief that threatened to swallow him whole. He couldn't lose focus now. They had to get Bella somewhere for her to safely transform, and then Edward would go join in the fight against the newborns. Maybe he would even die. Maybe dying would put a stop to this giant hole that had opened up inside of him. Jacob was gone, so what was the point of carrying on?

"Edward!" Jasper's panicked voice pulled him out of his melancholy.

 _'He's breathing…'_

"Edward, come quick!"

 _'I can't believe he's breathing…'_ Edward snapped to attention as he heard the thoughts running through his brother's head and ran over to where Jasper was leaning over Jacob's bloodied body. And…he couldn't believe it. Jacob's gaping chest was rising and falling. The breaths were shallow and brittle and it sounded like there was a fair bit of blood inside of his lungs, but he wasn't dead yet. Not dead yet.

Without a thought, Edward scooped Jacob into his arms, holding him close. He looked to Jasper who was glancing anxiously over to where Alice was clutching Bella's lifeless hand.

"Is she…?" Jasper didn't finish the question. Edward shook his head.

"Alice bit her. She has a good chance of making it." Jasper looked relieved but kept his distance, clearly not wanting to risk the success of Bella's turn by letting his bloodlust take over. He turned back to Edward.

"Let's get them both somewhere safe." Edward nodded.

"Alice, let's go," he called over to his sister. Her terrified eyes tore away from Bella's body to look at him. She nodded and gently tucked Bella into her arms before rising.

After one last look at the ashes that had been Victoria and Riley's bodies, the three of them took off towards the house.


	16. Chapter 16

Jacob was in limbo. Floating between consciousness and darkness. To his left he saw what looked like a bedroom, but it was as if he was looking at it through a long tube. To his right was total darkness. Darkness so heavy he could feel its thick tendrils brushing against his right side. The darkness felt nice and cool on his heated skin. It reminded him a bit of how it felt to touch Edward. He was tempted to let it swallow him, but the sight of the bedroom stopped him for some reason. Jacob looked at the bedroom-down-the-tube, squinting to make out the details.

The view of the bedroom was suddenly blocked by the face of an angel.

 _Edward_. Jacob turned from the darkness, it's appeal gone.

Edward's lips were moving frantically and Jacob wished dearly that he could hear what his Imprint was saying. He inched closer to the end of the tube that would bring him to Edward, but stopped when a stabbing pain flared up in his chest. He didn't understand. Usually, getting closer to Edward meant the pain in his chest got better, not worse.

Jacob tried to move towards Edward again but that same pain hit him over and over. He growled in frustration. What was the Imprint's problem, anyway? Didn't it want him to be near Edward? Jacob considered turning back and retreating into the darkness but the sight of Edward's panicked face tugged at him. He couldn't leave his Imprint alone like that. Edward looked so scared. Jacob longed to comfort him. So he kept moving forward.

Jacob clawed his way up, biting back gasps of pain as the ache in his chest throbbed and intensified. He was so close now. So close to Edward.

He was almost there and now he could make out a bit of what Edward was saying.

 _"That's it, Jake…come to me…I'm right here….please come back."_ Well, how could he ever deny his Imprint?

Jacob pulled himself the rest of the way out and gasped in pain as the burning in his chest overwhelmed him. He let out a weak cry.

"Jake! Oh thank god!" Edward's voice sounded relieved and Jacob was happy he could give Edward what he wanted. He smiled despite the feeling that his chest was being cut open.

"Hurts…" he managed to rasp out.

"I know it does. I'm going to do my best to help okay?" Edward's reassurances calmed Jacob down somewhat. His Imprint was going to take care of him. It was then that Jacob felt the cold hand gripping his and he smiled broadly. Edward was touching him.

"Try your best to stay still, okay?" Jacob nodded weakly.

Edward bent down and pressed his lips against Jacob's forehead. Jacob gasped at the rush of endorphins that resulted from the contact. The pain in his chest eased up a bit. Jacob was hyperaware of the familiar feeling of his skin trying to stitch itself together. But it was on a much larger scale than he was used to.

Edward's free hand came up and cupped Jacob's cheek and he leaned into the touch. Despite the pain, everywhere Edward was touching him felt so good. He wanted more.

Edward's lips moved down from his forehead to kiss his cheek, and then he nuzzled into Jacob's neck.

"Jake…" Edward breathed out. And if Jacob weren't in so much pain he probably would have popped a boner by now. Edward chuckled at his train of thought. He leaned back but slid his hand from Jacob's cheek to thread into the hair just above the nape of his neck. Jacob whimpered. It felt _so good_.

The weird stitching feeling was back and Jacob looked down at his chest, curious what was healing. At the sight before him, he froze.

"Jake, it's okay. Don't panic," Edward soothed. And Jacob let out a shaky breath.

There were bloodstained bandages secured tightly around his chest. Memories flooded his brain.

Riley's hand punching through his chest, gripping his heart. He had been so sure that he had died.

"You did die," Edward answered his confused thoughts. "You're heart stopped beating and your mind went blank. But then…you started breathing again. It was odd. Your heart still wasn't beating but you were breathing. Carlisle is still unsure how it happened." Jacob was in awe. He had managed to survive having the life squeezed out of his heart. A smug grin graced his features. And then he remembered—

"Bella! Is she okay?"

"She's fine," Edward said, stroking his hair gently. "She was pretty badly injured but Alice turned her."

"The pack?" Jacob felt guilty that he hadn't thought of his pack first, but his brain was pretty scrambled at the moment.

"They're all fine. Seth suffered a pretty bad injury but he's already healing."

"They didn't try to kill Alice for turning Bella?"

"They were more relieved than anything. Everyone at the fight felt terribly guilty that Victoria had managed to get to Bella in the first place. If Alice and Jasper hadn't shown up when they did, Bella would be dead." Jacob nodded.

"How long has it been?" he asked.

"You've been out for about a week. There were quite a few times when I thought I was losing you again. It was awful. But you managed to hang on. And I'm forever grateful for that." Edward leaned down, resting his forehead against Jacob's.

This must be what heaven feels like.

"Can I see Bella?" Jacob asked after Edward pulled back. His Imprint tensed.

"He's not letting anyone but Carlisle inside!" a voice called from behind the door. It sounded like Jasper. Edward looked over his shoulder and growled. Jacob gave him a questioning glance.

"Er…Edward?"

"I just…I didn't want anyone interfering with your healing process," Edward grumbled, looking embarrassed. Oh, that was adorable. Jacob chuckled.

"I'm sure Sam loves that," he said, smiling like an idiot.

"He's being a bit grumpy about it but I think he understands," Edward replied. He looked very serious then. "I thought I had lost you, Jake," he murmured, bringing the hand he was holding up to his own cheek. Where had this Edward been for the last three months?

"I've been here the whole time. And I'm sorry that it took you dying and coming back to life for me to start letting it show." He leveled Jacob with a piercing gaze. "I'm so sorry, Jake. I almost let you slip out of my fingers. I'm not going to let that happen again."

Jacob was floored. It was so overwhelming. After so long, his Imprint was finally accepting him. Fully. But what about…

"What about Bella?" he asked, though he wasn't sure he wanted to hear the answer.

"Well…" Before Edward could continue, the door banged open. Edward's entire demeanor changed. He whipped around and crouched low into a threatening stance, snarling loudly at the intruder.

"Honestly, Edward." It was Bella. Only, it wasn't Bella. But it was.

"Wow, Bella you look…" Jacob whistled and Edward gave him a glare.

"Oh come _on."_ Was he seriously jealous right now?

"Edward, Jacob's stable now. Everyone wants to see him." Bella tried to reason. Edward didn't move from his crouched position though. She rolled her eyes and leaned to the side to look at Jacob.

"Will you call your guard dog off, Jake? Everyone's waiting downstairs." Jacob chuckled. This was too rich though. He never thought he'd see the day when Edward would growl threateningly at Bella. Jacob decided to settle on a compromise.

"Is my dad here?" Bella nodded. "I'd like to see him," Jacob said. Bella smirked.

"I should have known you'd milk this situation for all it's worth," she chuckled before turning and closing the door behind her.

Edward turned slowly to look at Jacob, a sheepish grin on his face.

"We…er…we broke up," he said, picking up where he left off before Bella had come in.

"No kidding," Jacob said, laughing. Ouch, it hurt to laugh.

Edward was suddenly a flurry of activity. He came up close and grabbed for Jacob's hand again, clutching at it firmly.

"What can I do to help?" he asked, eyes wide.

"Uh…no it's fine." All this attention from Edward, though enjoyable, was a bit overwhelming. And unfamiliar. Edward sighed.

"Jake—" Edward was interrupted again at the sound of the door opening. He growled lowly before composing himself and turning around. Billy Black sat in the doorway, Bella behind him. Billy rolled in and Bella tried to follow.

"No! No no no, get back," Edward shooed her out of the room and closed the door behind her, despite her many protests. Jacob laughed again, ignoring the pain that resulted. Then he turned his attention to his dad, who had made it over to his bedside.

"Jacob, I'm so glad you're alright." Billy looked relieved, and like he hadn't slept in a few days. "I'd appreciate it if you would stop almost-dying," Billy said, bringing a hand up to rest on Jacob's shoulder.

"I'll work on that, Dad," Jacob said, smiling.

"Good. The pack wants to see you but—" Billy ignored the low growl from Edward, "—apparently they're not _allowed_ in yet." Despite his words, Billy looked greatly amused.

"Well, I'm not going anywhere. I'm sure the warden will let me out eventually."

Billy chuckled before turning to look at Edward, who stood up a little straighter. Jacob snorted.

"I appreciate you taking care of my son," Billy said, sticking out a hand.

"Of course, sir. Jacob means a lot to me," Edward replied, shaking Billy's hand. Jacob's eyes widened at that. Logically, he knew that Edward must care a great deal if he was restricting access to his room so much, but to hear the words out loud made his heart clench—and not in a painful way.

Nodding to Jacob, Billy left the room. Edward turned to face him once more.

"You're going to have to let me out eventually," Jacob said. "Now that I'm awake, sitting around in bed is going to get boring fast. I'll be in need of entertainment." Edward's eyes darkened slightly at that and Jacob gulped. He had been joking around but Edward looked anything but amused. His Imprint practically _prowled_ towards him. A cool hand came up to rest on his cheek and Edward leaned in close next to his ear.

"I'll keep you plenty entertained, Jacob," Edward whispered, his cool breath tickling Jacob's ear and making him flush in excitement. Edward's lips pressed against his neck just under his ear and Jacob let out a humiliating whimper. The feeling of his skin mending itself started up again in his chest. Edward leaned back, much to Jacob's disappointment.

"I've learned a lot about how Imprints work over the last week. We've found that physical contact helps speed up the healing process in a similar way that it soothes the pain from spending time apart," Edward explained. "But watching you squirm and pant is a delicious added bonus."

Jacob scowled, a little embarrassed. But he couldn't scowl for long because Edward was leaning in again, brushing his lips just under Jacob's jaw. Jacob let out a small whine.

They were once again interrupted by the sound of the door opening. Edward looked livid.

"I swear if one more person comes in here—"

"Edward." Jacob recognized Carlisle's voice. Edward froze. "Piero wants to meet him." Jacob shot Edward a confused look and was startled at the fury on Edward's face.

"I see," he muttered tersely before standing up.

"Who's Piero?" Jacob asked. Edward looked at him, eyes blazing.

"Volturi," was his curt reply. Jacob felt a trickle of fear slide down his spine. From the stories he had heard from both Bella and Edward, Jacob had surmised that the Volturi were not to be trifled with. Apparently they were very powerful and had no qualms against killing off their own kind. Even vampires like the Cullens.

"Why does someone from the Volturi want to meet me?" Jacob was still thoroughly confused.

"I believe I can answer that question," a lightly accented voice spoke from behind Carlisle. Edward tensed as a vampire Jacob had never seen before strode into the room and came right up to Jacob's bedside. The vampire—Piero, Jacob assumed—gave him a dazzling smile. "Hello, Jacob," Piero greeted cordially. "My name is Piero." He stuck out his hand and Jacob, not knowing how else to respond, lifted his hand to shake it.

"Don't touch him!" Edward growled from where he stood. Piero turned to him, all smiles.

"Now Edward, surely you don't mean to keep Jacob all to yourself during my visit," Piero said sweetly. The sound of his voice made Jacob's stomach churn. "I am, after all, supposed to be getting to know him and learning about your interesting bond." Edward didn't respond and Piero turned back to Jacob, though he didn't try to shake his hand again.

"I shall let you rest, Jacob. I look forward to becoming great friends!" With that, Piero turned and strode to the door, throwing another smile over his shoulder as he turned down the hall. It was quiet in the bedroom and Edward hurried to the door and shut it before zipping back to Jacob's side and snatching up his hand again.

"What the hell was that all about?" Jacob asked. He would never admit it out loud but Piero had frightened him a bit.

"The Volturi arrived once most of the newborns had been killed. Aro prompted Carlisle to _show_ him how the 'massacre' had come to pass and why the wolves were involved. Of course, once Aro has a hold of your hand, you can't hide anything from him. He was intrigued by the Imprint, and he ordered Piero to stay behind to learn more about it. It's all pretense of course. Aro's actually worried that with the added strength of the wolves on our side, we pose a threat to their security as the strongest vampire coven in the world." Edward's grip on Jacob's hand was getting tighter, but he couldn't find it in him to complain.

"When will he leave?" Jacob asked. Edward snorted.

"That's the question isn't it?" he said bitterly. Carlisle cleared his throat and Jacob turned his attention towards the other vampire in the room.

"I believe that Aro wants assurance that our strength does not rival the Volturi's, but I also think he genuinely finds the Imprint fascinating. I'm not sure what he plans to do with the information that Piero gives him." Carlisle looked nervous and Jacob knew that wasn't a good sign. Even during the weeks of preparations leading up to Victoria's attack, Carlisle had seemed composed and self-assured. Now he was fidgeting—did vampires even fidget?—and glancing at the door nervously as if he expected Piero to come in at any moment.

"I assume telling him to fuck off is out of the question?" Jacob asked. Edward chuckled at his crude language.

"I wish it were possible. But he has the entire Volturi behind him. Such blatant disrespect would be punished swiftly." Edward sighed. "Unfortunately, we're stuck with him snooping around until Aro calls him back to Italy."

"The best thing to do would be to be as polite and accommodating as possible," Carlisle said. "If we are pleasant and nonthreatening, I'm sure Piero will get bored quickly and leave."

Jacob glanced to Edward who was glaring at the floor and looking like the last thing he wanted to be was pleasant and nonthreatening. Jacob squeezed his Imprint's hand lightly. Edward's eyes shot to his and Jacob gave him a small smile.

"It'll be alright," he said, though he had no idea if it was the truth or not. "We'll take it one day at a time." Edward nodded before leaning in, pressing his forehead against Jacob's again; and despite the literal hole in his chest and the Volturi breathing down their necks, Jacob was at peace.


	17. Chapter 17

Bella watched from the couch as Alice gave terse yet polite answers to Piero's questions about how the wolves affected her Sight. Alice was truly breathtaking. Bella had thought that Alice was beautiful before, but now she could see every facet of perfection in Alice's face. She desperately wanted to brush Piero aside and cup Alice's face in her hands so she could study her beauty more closely. Jasper's amused chuckle next to her pulled her from her thoughts. Bella turned to him with a playfully quirked eyebrow.

"Something to say, Jasper?" she said lowly. Jasper smirked and leaned in close to whisper in her ear.

"She looks incredible doesn't she?" His breath tickled her now hypersensitive skin and if she had still been human, she probably would have shivered. Jasper leaned back, his grin widening as he read how his proximity affected her. Bella nodded slowly to Jasper's inquiry, eyes now focused entirely on him. It was easy to get distracted whenever Alice or Jasper was present. But having _both_ of them in the same room was like playing visual ping-pong for Bella.

When Bella had been human, she hadn't been able to fully understand how a relationship with Jasper and Alice would work. It seemed that issues such as jealousy and exclusion were inevitable. But now, as a vampire, loving both of them just seemed so _natural_. She still wasn't entirely sure why everything between the three of them suddenly made so much more sense now. Bella suspected it might have something to do with no longer feeling subjected to other human beings' expectations. She wasn't human, so she didn't need to conform to humans' societal rules. And while she had known for a while already that she would _eventually_ have to be turned into a vampire in order to satisfy the Volturi, Bella had never suspected that life would make so much more sense on the other side. Had she really been planning on throwing this incredible love away? To marry a man who was clearly in love with someone else? She had centuries now that she could spend with Alice and Jasper, and she didn't plan to waste a single second of it not loving them.

Bella watched as the intensity of her emotions hit Jasper. He looked overwhelmed, ecstatic, and bewildered all at the same time.

"That's never going to get old," he said with a grin before leaning in and placing a soft kiss on Bella's lips.

Bella felt the desire welling up inside of her at once and she had to fight off the urge to lunge at Jasper hungrily and pin him to the couch. Jasper chuckled at her spike in arousal.

"So responsive," he murmured against her lips and Bella let out an animalistic growl.

Suddenly there was a second pair of lips on Bella, but these ones were on her neck.

"Shall we take this elsewhere?" Alice's sweet voice breathed into Bella's ear. Bella was ready to accept the invitation when—

"Sorry to interrupt!" Emmett's booming voice echoed loudly through out the quiet house. Bella sighed. There were far too many people living here in Bella's opinion, and the fact that almost all of them were vampires made privacy even harder to come by.

"Shut up, Emmett," they heard Edward's voice grumble from upstairs. Everyone laughed because really, Edward was being a bit of a prat about the whole Jacob situation.

"So where's _Piero_ run off to?" Emmett asked, plopping himself down in front of the television to set up a video game.

"He went to the border to see if the wolves will talk to him about the Imprint," Alice said, clearly amused. If there was a group of people who detested the Volturi's involvement in things more than the Cullens, then it was the wolves.

Bella sat back on the couch to watch the colors flit across the television screen. Emmett's character was currently battling a dragon of some sort. If Bella stared at the screen long enough, she could see the static hiding just below the surface reminding her very keenly that what she was looking at was not real. Honestly, seeing the world through vampire eyes was fascinating.

Hands started gently rubbing her inner thigh and stroking her hair and Bella was seconds away from using her newborn strength to scoop them both up and carry them off to the bedroom. However, a thought suddenly occurred to her. _Her newborn strength_ …

"Hey Emmett?" she said, a smirk starting to form on her face.

"Yeah?" he said distractedly, eyes still on the television.

"You owe me an arm-wrestling match."

Emmett froze momentarily before turning and grinning broadly at her.

"That I do, Isabella," he said. "That I do."

* * *

It had been a week since Jacob had woken up. Edward refused to leave his side. Even when Jacob started getting out of bed to walk about the rest of the house, Edward was always right there at his elbow. If it had been anyone else, Jacob was sure he would have found it annoying. But it was Edward and, for Jacob, feeling like the center of his Imprint's world was thrilling to say the least.

Jacob was sitting in front of Edward's bedroom window, staring out into the trees. Edward was over at the stereo—Jacob's stereo actually. While Jacob had been comatose, Edward had asked Sam to bring it and Jacob's tapes to the house. Sam had tried not to show how impressed he was by Edward's attentiveness.

A particularly playful sounding piano piece started up and Jacob turned to look at Edward only to gasp. His Imprint had already moved away from the stereo and was inches away from Jacob's face.

Jacob's brain did that thing where it went to mush and all he could think about was how beautiful Edward was.

"There's something I want to do," Edward said, suddenly intense. Jacob nodded, not trusting his voice.

Before he could even register what was happening, Edward was cupping Jacob's face in his hands. Jacob brought up his own hand to cover Edward's, stroking the soft and cool skin. And then, Edward was leaning in, his eyes sliding shut. Jacob followed suit because he couldn't believe this was about to happen and he certainly wasn't going to do anything to stop it.

The first touch of Edward's lips to his own was like a shock to his system. Jacob felt his heart actually stop, his breath hitch, his brain shut down. It was almost like Edward had flipped the off switch on all of Jacob's body functions and then rebooted it, sending Jacob into overdrive.

After the most incredible three second's of Jacob's life, Edward pulled back a bit to look at him, a gleam in his eye.

"Jacob, I love you," he whispered against Jacob's lips. And really, this was not fair. Jacob could only take so much in one day. A familiar tingling started up in his chest and Jacob gasped when he realized that he was almost fully healed.

"I love you too, Edward," Jacob said, unable to resist leaning in for another kiss. Edward's fingers moved from his face to thread into his hair as he kissed Jacob slowly.

It was so cliché and silly and it belonged in story-books, but Edward's love had literally healed him. Jacob rolled his eyes at the thought and Edward smirked against his lips before pulling back.

"It _is_ rather ridiculous, but what else would you expect from a wolfy soul mate bond? " Jacob grinned widely at that.

The last few notes of the song that Edward had put on dwindled off.

"That was beautiful," Jacob said, "what was it?"

"Jacob."

"What?" Jacob asked, confused.

"No. That's what it's called. It's called Jacob." Jacob quirked an eyebrow.

"And the composer?" Jacob asked, though he had a feeling he already knew the answer.

"Me."

Another song started up. It was sad and bleak and slow and it made Jacob want to cry.

"And this?" he asked.

"This entire tape is you, Jacob. Each song was composed at some point or another over the last three and a half months. This one," Edward gestured to the stereo, "came to me during our…separation." Jacob swallowed the lump in his throat. He did not want to think about that time. But listening to the mournful-sounding music tugged at Jacob's heartstrings. Edward kept talking.

"I felt so…alone. Going so long without getting to see you or touch you was pure agony. But I withstood it because I thought it was the right thing to do. Because I felt guilty about everything I'd put Bella through over the years. And I felt guilty that I had started to fall in love with you when I was still with her." Jacob's breath caught at that. "Long before she cheated on me. And then it felt so _wrong_ to feel guilty about it because loving you just feels like what I'm supposed to do. Like this is where I'm supposed to be." Edward's face looked similar to what one would look like while crying but there were no tears or pink flush on his cheeks or nose. It looked like pure misery and Jacob quickly pulled Edward towards him, unable to stand the sight of his Imprint so unhappy.

Edward tried to resist at first, as Jacob had pulled him to his chest and Edward was concerned about any pain it might be causing. But being held by his wolf felt amazing. Gently, Edward wrapped his arms around Jacob's neck and inhaled his scent.

 _'Mine.'_

"Yours," Edward agreed.

* * *

Piero returned to the Cullens' house disappointed but not yet defeated. The wolves had been less than cooperative. Honestly, he should have seen that one coming. But learning about this Imprint and how it functioned was crucial if Aro wanted him to carry out his orders.

Piero's lips quirked up in a smile when he looked through the window to the house and saw that young Jacob was out of Edward's room and sitting on the couch.

Perfect.

"Why hello Jacob!" Piero called as he entered the house, eyes trained on the wolf. He heard Edward growl from his place next to Jacob. Not wanting to tempt fate, Piero chose a seat far away enough that would put Edward's mind at ease but would still allow him to converse freely with Jacob.

"Piero," Edward greeted through tight lips. "What can we do for you?" Piero chuckled and made sure his mental blocks were well in place. It would be quite disastrous if Edward got wise to his plan.

"I was hoping to ask Jacob a few questions. That's all." Piero did not look at Edward, keeping his eyes carefully trained on Jacob.

The wolf nodded, though it was clear he was nervous.

"My first question is…."

Over the course of the next half hour, Piero managed to squeeze out the story of how Jacob had Imprinted on Edward and the resulting feelings and consequences of such a bond. Piero was especially interested in the pain that resulted from distance, as well as Edward's apparent newfound status as a member of Jacob's pack despite being a vampire.  
But there was one question that Piero was itching to ask. However, he was sure that it would not be received well. In an attempt to appear as non-threatening as possible, Piero leaned back in his seat and assumed a relaxed position.

"I have just one more question, Jacob," Piero hesitated, but Aro _had_ asked for this specific piece of information. It couldn't be helped. "What happens to a wolf when their Imprint dies?"

The effect of the question was immediate, though not exactly what Piero had been expecting. Suddenly, Jacob was directly in front of him, snarling and snapping his jaws.

"Jacob!" Edward couldn't hide his amused smirk but Piero also saw the concern for Jacob's wellbeing as Edward attempted to pull him away despite the wolf being mostly healed from his injury.

"Get out," Jacob growled at him, deliberately placing himself between Edward and Piero.

Piero sighed. He had figured something like this would happen. He had not counted on Jacob being so protective of Edward, though. Originally it had looked as if Edward was the protector. It appeared, however, that those feelings went both ways and were very, _very_ strong.

Piero was starting to worry that he might not be able to succeed in the mission that Aro had charged him with. This would be a true test of the capabilities of his Gift.


	18. Chapter 18

Jacob and Edward were having an argument.

"What if something goes wrong?"

"What could _possibly_ go wrong? I'm a goddamn Quileute wolf, Edward."

"What about Piero?"

"What _about_ Piero? I mean yeah he's creepy and nosey but he's not doing anything particularly _harmful_."

" _Yet_."

"He's _one_ vampire!"

"He's Volturi! He might as well be an entire legion of vampires!"

Jacob groaned. They had already had this argument multiple times over the last couple of days. Jacob was healed. Fully healed. And Edward knew it. And Jacob _knew_ that Edward knew it. But Edward was so paranoid about how phasing might affect his body so soon after his injury. He was also hesitant for Jacob to leave the house at all with Piero running about, asking questions and reporting back to Aro.

"Jacob, you almost _died_. I couldn't bear it if something else happened to you."

"I want to go for a small run, Edward. Just to stretch my legs. I'm going stir crazy here." Edward smirked.

"I could think of a few other ways to stretch your legs, Jake," he purred, moving in and crowding into Jacob's space. Jacob inhaled sharply.

"You're not playing fair," he accused, unable to think straight with Edward's scent filling his nostrils and his body so close and his lips looking so good. Jacob shook his head. " _No,"_ he said, determined. Edward stepped away and scowled.

"…Fine," Edward finally conceded. "But _stay close_."

Jacob nodded eagerly and ignored the shiver that travelled down his spine at the sound of his Imprint's order, happy to finally have his way after spending days arguing about it.

Edward gave him one last long look before leading the way out the front door.

Jacob was already far ahead of him, moving deep in the woods. Edward growled before easily catching up.

"I said stay _close_ , Jacob," he said. Jacob just rolled his eyes.

"I was close enough. Don't be such a buzzkill. I haven't shifted in forever and I want to go for a run." With that, Jacob threw off the shirt that Edward insisted he wear while around so many other people. Edward's eyes zeroed in on Jacob's chest. It looked completely healed but who knew what further damage might be lurking beneath the surface.

Edward's eyes moved on from Jacob's chest and took in the sight of him standing shirtless in the woods and unbuttoning his pants. Edward's breath hitched when he noticed that Jacob wasn't wearing anything underneath.

 _Oh._

"Wait!" Edward cried out, stopping Jacob from pulling off his pants. Jacob gave him a disgruntled look. Edward moved in close. The look on Jacob's face changed into one of excitement.

 _'Oh please,'_ Jacob's mind supplied. Edward brought a hand up to touch the spot on Jacob's chest where his injury had been.

 _'Cold. Mmm…'_

Edward looked up into Jacob's eyes and stared. Jacob's eyes were dark, pupils slightly dilated. Edward gently walked him backwards until Jacob was pressed up against a nearby tree.

"E-Edward, w-what are you—" Jacob stammered out loud, but Edward shushed him gently before returning his attention to Jacob's torso. He trailed his fingers down from Jacob's chest, brushing against his _very_ prominent abdominal muscles—god _damn_ —which fluttered under his touch.

Jacob let out a small whimper and the sound shot through Edward like fire.

Edward moved closer, pressing their bodies together from chest all the way down to where Edward's right leg had fitted itself between Jacob's. Edward gently slipped his hand up Jacob's side before coming to rest on his shoulder.

 _'So good…'_

Edward locked eyes with Jacob again and the hungry expression on Jacob's face made Edward's hips jerk forward involuntarily. Both groaned in pleasure, there was a beat of silence and then they were all over each other.

"You're…so…beautiful," Edward managed to gasp out between kisses. Jacob wrapped his arms around Edward's waist and held him tightly.

"Edward…need you," Jacob panted in response. Edward ground his hips against him, pulling away from Jacob's lips to lick at his throat. Jacob gasped and the hands around Edward's waist slipped underneath his shirt and suddenly there were strong, hot fingers roaming up his back.

Deciding that there were far too many pieces of clothing separating their skin, Edward leaned back and tore his shirt off in a flash before leaning back in to press against Jacob's chest again, hands digging into the muscles of Jacob's shoulders.

The heat of Jacob's skin against his own was overwhelming and Edward reveled in it, buried himself in it. Jacob was thrashing deliciously from where he was pinned between Edward and the tree. Edward growled lowly before thrusting roughly against Jacob, getting high off of the noises that Jacob was making.

 _'Not—oh god—gonna…last…'_

Edward slowed his movements and smirked at the whine that erupted from Jacob's throat. When Edward pulled back a few inches to look at him, he almost lost it right there. Jacob looked absolutely wrecked. His lips were red and swollen, his eyes black from his blown pupils, and he was looking at Edward like he was seconds away from pouncing.

"Please…" Jacob moaned, and the sound was so broken and so far gone that Edward couldn't help but dig his nails into Jacob's side. Jacob moaned even louder, hips stuttering forward in an attempt to re-initiate contact.

"Tell me what you need, pup," Edward said, amused when that resulted in another mindless thrust from Jacob.

 _'I'm a good pup…'_

"Touch me more," Jacob whispered out loud. Edward held on as tightly as possible to his restraint, but that invitation was too good to pass up. He let one hand slide up and around the back of Jacob's neck to grip firmly at his hair while the other hand slid down slowly before coming to pause right above the button Jacob had already undone before Edward had stopped him. Jacob thrust up, trying to get more.

"Jacob, _stay still_ ," Edward growled.

 _'Fuck that's hot.'_

Out loud all Jacob did was whine, his body following the order immediately. Knowing that he now had Jacob all but bound to the tree, Edward began to softly stroke at the skin above Jacob's waistband. Edward moved forward so his lips were right next to Jacob's ear.

"Now now, what am I going to do with you?" he murmured. Jacob let out a choked sob.

 _'Burning up…'_

"Edward, please," Jacob begged and Edward decided he like the way it sounded. A lot.

"Again," Edward commanded. Jacob keened.

" _Please_ Edward, I need you…need you so bad it burns," Jacob was desperate and dazed and breathless, and the sound of those words leaving his lips almost undid Edward entirely.

"Once more," Edward coaxed softly and Jacob sobbed again.

"Please…"

 _'Please.'_

A snarl ripped through Edward's throat as he lost all semblance of restraint, Gripping Jacob's hips tightly, Edward surged forward and kissed Jacob hard.

 _'Oh yes!'_

"Touch me, Jacob," Edward said and Jacob's arms were suddenly all over him, seeking out more and more skin. Jacob wasted no time in sliding his hand between them to undo Edward's pants. Edward let him, his own fingers moving to unzip Jacob's fly. There was a moment of stillness where they locked eyes, giving each other the most wicked of grins. Then, simultaneously, both of them reached for the other's cock. Twin gasps filled the air as they stroked each other. Edward listened intently to Jacob's long, drawn out moans and high-pitched whimpers. An idea struck him then, and Edward quickly pulled back. Jacob let out a cry of protest as the stimulation was abruptly cut off. Edward shushed him gently and brought a hand up to stroke Jacob's cheek with his thumb. Edward couldn't hold back his evil smirk and Jacob eyed him somewhat warily thought lust-fogged eyes.

"Wha—"

"Jacob, there's something I've been pondering," Edward interrupted. "Whenever I give you an order, your body immediately obeys. But I've only ever given you orders that would be possible for your body to obey without the force of the Imprint." Jacob looked at him, confused.

 _'He's seriously interrupting this to_ talk?'

Edward chuckled, leaning in to give Jacob a chaste kiss on the lips before pulling away again. Without further explanation, Edward removed his body from any contact it had with Jacob's, leaving only his hand pressed flat against Jacob's chest, pinning him to the tree once more. Jacob squirmed, trying to re-initiate contact but Edward's strength held him in place.

"Jacob," Edward said sharply, getting his attention. Edward looked intently into the dark brown color of Jacob's eyes. Without breaking eye contact, Edward murmured his order.

"Come for me."

 _'Holy f—'_

Jacob's shock showed on his face before his expression screwed up tight.

 _'Oh my god!'_

Jacob's hips bucked up into the air as he came with a loud cry.


	19. Chapter 19

"I want to see Charlie."

Jasper snapped out of his post-coital haze to look over at Bella. Alice let out a sigh from the other side of the bed.

"Bella—"

"No. I'm not budging on this," Bella said, crossing her arms defiantly.

"It's dangerous, Bella," Jasper tried to reason. "You're still relatively young and we don't know how much control you have yet."

"Then let's put it to the test." Well, that was _not_ the response Jasper was hoping for.

"What do you suggest?" Alice asked, apparently more willing to go along with this than Jasper was. The last thing they needed was for Bella to cause a scene, especially with Piero so close by.

"Let's go for a drive and work from there," Bella said eagerly, glad to have Alice on her side. Alice looked over to Jasper, who sighed and nodded in resigned agreement.

"Fine," he grumbled. "But I don't approve of this." Bella just patted his hand.

"Don't worry, everything will be fine."

Everything was not fine. Well, it was, but not for Jasper. Bella was handling herself quite well around humans and was being rather smug about the whole thing. After they drove by a park and Bella hadn't attempted to claw her way out of the car to get to the humans, Alice had decided that they could try going for a walk and seeing how Bella handled herself. They had driven to Seattle for Bella's little road test since everyone in Forks was under the assumption that Bella was horribly sick.

Jasper watched Bella closely as they walked the trails of the park. He could tell that her thirst was very much present but it seemed that her determination to stick to the vegetarian diet was stronger than her desire for human blood.

A baseball sailed through the air towards them and Bella caught it easily, grinning. Her grin promptly dropped from her face at the sight of three young boys wearing baseball gloves and caps jogging over to them. They were sweating and flushed from the physical activity. This couldn't be good. Jasper felt Bella's distress rising.

"Nice catch! Sorry about that," one of the boys said as he approached. Bella swallowed before smiling.

"Not a problem," she responded, stepping forward to hand him the ball. Jasper watched anxiously as the distance closed between them. Bella didn't appear to be losing control but the hold on her restraint was very clearly strained. She dutifully placed the baseball in the boy's outstretched palm. Bella quickly stepped back, reaching for Alice's hand. The boy smiled and turned towards his friends, the three of them jogging back in the direction of the baseball fields. There were a few tense moments before Bella allowed herself to breath again.

"Well," Alice said, "that wasn't so bad."

The three of them looked at each other before bursting into laughter.

* * *

Jacob watched anxiously as Charlie's car pulled into the Cullens' gravel driveway. He knew that Bella wanted to see her father again, but this was risky. Jasper and Alice had assured them all that Bella had handled herself well while among other humans when they drove out to Seattle, but Jacob's instinct to protect humans from vampires was still very much present.

"Relax," Edward breathed into his ear. Jacob felt his tensed up muscles go lax. Cool arms circled his waist and Edward rested his chin on Jacob's shoulder, watching Charlie exit his car and approach the front door.

Jacob's eyes closed in trepidation at the sound of the doorbell. He turned towards Bella who was sitting on the couch, looking tense.

"You're sure about this?" he asked her.

"There's no going back now," she replied just before Carlisle entered the room with Charlie in tow. Jacob saw Charlie's eyes bug out a bit at the sight of her. Jacob knew that Charlie was seeing what Jacob had seen the first time he had seen Bella after her transformation.

It was Bella. But it wasn't. But it was.

Charlie approached slowly and Jacob wanted to laugh. Charlie looked like a man cautiously approaching a wild animal. How apt.

"Bella?" Charlie choked out, as if he needed verbal confirmation that this was actually his daughter.

"Hi Dad," Bella replied, smiling.

"We'll let you two have some privacy," Carlisle said before turning towards Jacob and Edward. Jacob grudgingly followed the vampires out of the room towards the kitchen where Alice and Jasper were pacing back and forth.

"She's fine," Edward told them. They both nodded in acknowledgement but didn't stop their pacing.

Despite their removal from the room, they were all able to listen closely to Bella and Charlie's conversation, ready to jump in at any sign of trouble.

Edward chuckled when Bella told Charlie that she and Edward had broken up. Jacob looked at him curiously.

"Charlie won't say it out loud, but he's relieved." Edward's eyes darted towards Alice and Jasper, who were both listening intently to Bella's explanation for staying at the Cullens' residence instead of coming home.

"I don't know, Bella," Charlie said. "Maybe you shouldn't be around Edward for a while." Clearly Charlie was nervous about Bella getting back together with Edward. Jacob wanted to laugh.

"Dad, it's fine really. Alice has been a really good friend throughout all of this." Alice perked up at that.

"You can't impose on their hospitality forever, Bella," Charlie argued.

"Dad, I promise you; staying here is what's best for me right now."

Charlie sighed. "I won't pretend to understand your reasoning, Bella. But you're an adult and can make your own decisions. Just don't be a stranger, okay? I've missed you."

"I've missed you too Dad." There was rustling and Jasper tensed. Everyone but Edward looked at him questioningly.

"Hugging," he said. They all held their breath.

Footsteps sounded through the house as Bella walked Charlie to the front door to see him out. Once Charlie's car had disappeared down the driveway, Bella came into the kitchen. She immediately went to Alice and Jasper. They pulled her into a hug.

"You okay, Bells?" Jacob asked. Bella nodded from where her head was tucked into Jasper's neck.

"I don't know what I'm going to do. I have enough of an excuse to stay here for the time being, but he's going to eventually ask me to come home." Jacob saw as Alice and Jasper exchanged a significant look.

 _'What's that all about?'_ he asked Edward silently. Edward smirked but didn't answer.

Suddenly, a howl sounded in the distance. Everyone froze where they were. After a beat of silence, Jacob pealed out of the room, shedding his clothes as he went. He was barely out the door before he phased into wolf form.

It was, in a word, chaos.

 _'It's horrible!'_

 _'Poor Sam…'_

 _'They're getting away!'_

 _'So much blood…'_

Jacob felt dizzy.

 _'What happened?'_ he asked. There was silence for a moment.

 _'A group of leeches killed Emily'_

Jacob felt his stomach turn itself inside out.

 _'How did they get on the reservation?'_ he demanded, tearing off towards La Push. He could feel Edward not far behind.

 _'We thought we were tracking them down but the scent we were following was a distraction. We're guessing that there are two groups of leeches working together on this. The decoys and the attackers.'_ Leah seemed to be the only one capable of coherent thought at the moment.

 _'How is Sam?'_ Although Jacob thought he might already know the answer.

 _'Not good. He's refusing to phase. He hasn't left her side. They didn't even drain her, Jake. Just tore her open and left her to bleed out. It doesn't make any sense.'_

 _'It was an assassination?'_

 _'Has to be,'_ Leah replied.

Jacob was coming up on the border when the scent of foreign leech hit his nose. A feral growl ripped from his throat.

"Jake, you need to remain calm and level headed," Edward said gently from his side. Jacob gave a tense nod. "Where to first?" Edward asked.

 _'Sam and Emily's,'_ Jacob responded. Edward nodded.

Upon Edward opening the door, Jacob became stomach roiled at the sight inside and turned to retch in the bushes outside. Once his stomach was empty, he once again approached the open door, still in wolf from.

Sam was curled up on the kitchen floor, pale and unmoving with Emily's eviscerated body held tightly in his arms. There was blood everywhere and Edward was clearly struggling.

 _'Go ahead and wait outside,'_ Jake said. Edward looked to him for a moment, seeming to contemplate something, before nodding. He handed Jacob the pants that Jacob had torn off in his haste to phase and then moved quickly out the door.

Jacob quickly phased into human form and pulled on the pants before going over to crouch by Sam.

"Sam?"

No response. But Jacob was expecting that. He placed a cautious hand on Sam's shoulder. The muscle tensed but quickly went lax again. Jacob was at a loss. He had never experienced a situation like this before. But he knew that if something like this had happened to Edward, he would probably be in a similar state.

There were footsteps outside and Jacob froze until he realized that it was the council elders. He heard them converse in low tones with Edward before entering the house.

"Oh my…"

Jacob turned towards them, feeling rather helpless.

"C'mon Jake," Edward beckoned him. Jacob rose to stand and crossed the room to join Edward. He watched as one of the elders approached Sam and bent down to say something in his ear. To Jacob's surprise, Sam nodded before slowly sitting up, though he did not let go of Emily's limp and bloody body. Another one of the elders turned towards Jacob.

"Go find the pack and try to track down the rogues," he said. Jacob nodded, more than happy to leave this scene of disaster and despair. Together, he and Edward turned and left the house.

* * *

Bella felt different.

Of course, she had been feeling different since she was turned but not like this. Before, she had used her vampire powers almost recreationally aside from hunting. She had enjoyed her speed and strength and had felt like a superhero, able to run down anything that stood in her path. But now…

Now she felt like she couldn't run fast enough. Like her senses weren't sharp enough. She, Alice, and Jasper had been trying to sniff out the rogues that had killed Emily but they hadn't left much of a trace.

Despite her distress, however, she knew that it couldn't compare to how Sam must be feeling right now.

"There's nothing more we can do here. They're long gone," Jasper said. Bella let out a frustrated huff. So much for being a superhero. The three of them turned and headed back towards home.

The sight of Piero upon their arrival to the house was quite unwelcome and Bella had to clamp down on the urge to lash out at him. She knew, logically, that this wasn't his fault. But he had been a source of anxiety for all of them and she didn't like the way he looked at Jacob and Edward—like they were a pair of particularly intriguing specimens that he longed to dissect. His presence gnawed at Bella's insides and her fingers itched to tear him apart.

"What has happened?" Piero asked, and Bella wanted to rip out his vocal cords. A comforting hand grasped hers and Bella inhaled deeply, letting the scent of Jasper wash over her as he gently coaxed her emotions to calmness.

"A group of rogue vampires murdered Sam Uley's Imprint," Alice answered, keeping a wary eye on both Bella and Piero.

Piero's face remained neutral and Bella felt her anger attempting to surge up once more.

"What a tragedy," Piero said.

"I'm sorry Piero, but now is not the best time for a visit. Would you mind coming back tomorrow?" Jasper asked, hand tightening on Bella's. Piero smiled before bowing slightly and disappearing into the woods. Once he was gone, Jasper turned Bella towards him with a hand on either of her shoulders.

"You need to remain calm," Jasper murmured. Bella nodded and hummed in slight relief when she felt Alice come up from behind to wrap her in a hug.

The stillness of the moment was interrupted by the sound of Alice's phone ringing. She kept one arm around Bella as she pulled the phone out of her pocket.

"Edward, they're gone. Not a trace left behind."

Both Jasper and Bella could hear Edward's response.

"The wolves are still searching. I don't think they're planning to give it up any time soon."

Alice let out a sigh. "They should really be staying on the reservation in case something like this happens again," she said. Bella wholeheartedly agreed. Protecting the rest of the Quileutes was much more important than trying to avenge Emily's death, tragic as it was.

"I'll try to convince them," was all he said before hanging up. Alice pocketed her phone and wrapped her arms around Bella again, although Bella had a feeling that this time it was more for Alice's comfort than her own.

* * *

The melancholy over the next few days pressed down on everyone, vampire and wolf alike. Despite the fact that the elders had managed to pry Sam away from Emily's body so they could prepare for her burial, Sam himself had yet to snap out of his dazed mourning. Jacob watched with an aching heart as his alpha seemed to waste away at his kitchen table. Sam had refused to leave his house and once Emily's body had been taken away, Sam had plopped himself down at the kitchen table and hadn't moved since.

The kitchen was where Emily had spent most of her time, constantly preparing meals for the pack. Sam's eyes flickered about the room every once in a while from the stove to the window to the door.

The blood-stain on the floor was horrifying to look at, but Sam had snarled threateningly at any attempt to cover it with a rug.

Jacob didn't know what to do. The pack was fretting without their alpha. Quil and Seth had tried to talk him into stepping in to take Sam's place—Jacob _was_ technically the rightful alpha after all—but he adamantly refused. He had to protect Edward and he couldn't do that if he was running around with the pack and fulfilling alpha duties.

However, when Paul and Leah approached him and told him that they were going to go hunt down the rogues with or without him, Jacob had to put his foot down.

"This isn't the time to be leaving the Rez, guys. What if the rogues come back?" Jacob should have known that things like reason and logic wouldn't work on the stubborn pair.

"So, we're just going to sit around waiting for them?" Leah asked sarcastically, looking quite unimpressed.

"If you two leave it will weaken the pack and—"

Paul's bark of laughter cut Jacob off.

"What _pack?_ " Paul said sharply. "We're useless right now without Sam. There's no way we'd be able to organize ourselves to properly protect the Rez."

Jacob narrowed his eyes. "You two are _not_ leaving," he said.

"You going to stop us, Jakey?" Paul mocked, stepping up to stare Jacob down. Jacob growled at the challenge.

"You two are going to _stay here_ and help protect the Rez. It's not negotiable."

"So what I'm hearing from you," Leah said, stepping up to stand next to Paul, "is that we are _forbidden_ from leaving La Push."

"That's right," Jacob asserted.

He expected more arguing but Leah just smiled like the cat that got the canary. She turned to Paul.

"You heard him, Paul. We're _forbidden_." Paul grinned widely at Jacob before clapping a hand on his shoulder.

"Well, I can't argue with that can I?" With that, the two of them high fived each other before heading back inside Sam's house. Jacob stared at the air where Paul and Leah had been standing moments before, slack-jawed.  
"What just happened?" he asked himself. A chuckle sounded from behind him.

"I do believe they just tricked you into being alpha," Edward said. Jacob whirled on him.

"I'm _not_ the alpha!" he snapped. Edward just raised an eyebrow and Jacob dropped his gaze to the ground, chastised. "I'm not, though," he insisted quietly.

"Jacob, I know you're worried—"

"Of course I'm worried!" Jacob cried, tears forming as he looked back up at his Imprint. "I don't want to come home from patrolling one day to find you in pieces and burning in a fire."

Edward tsked at the imagery.

"You're such an idiot, sometimes," he said fondly, reaching out to take Jacob's hands in his own.

"Am not," Jacob muttered petulantly. "You come first. You are priority number one."

"What if I joined you?" Edward asked. Jacob shot him a quizzical look. Edward rolled his eyes. "Your pack. What if I joined your pack, Jake?"

Jacob's jaw dropped for the second time that day as he looked at his Imprint with bewilderment.

Then he burst into laughter.

"You…want…to join…the _pack!_ " he crowed, wiping tears from his eyes. Edward scowled.

"If the idea is so amusing to you—"

"Of course it's amusing! 'Vampire teams up with wolf pack to appease his Imprinted boyfriend's fears!'"

Jacob was still chuckling when Edward quickly stepped forward and pressed his body up against Jacob's. The laughter quickly died in his throat as he looked into his Imprint's eyes.

"Your pack needs you, Jake. And I can be by your side the entire time since I'm allowed past the border. It's time to accept that Sam's not going to be stepping back up as alpha anytime soon."

Jacob searched Edward's face, though he didn't know what for. Maybe Jacob had never fully grasped what Emily's death meant for the pack. Jacob had heard the stories. He knew what happened to wolves whose Imprint died. He'd be surprised if Sam ever phased again.

Jacob sighed in resignation. But then he quickly straightened up and stared Edward down.

"Stay close to me. No matter what?"

"No matter what," Edward promised.

Overcome with emotion, Jacob pulled Edward into a tight hug. Edward's arms wrapped around his waist and Jacob breathed in his scent. _Home_.


	20. Chapter 20

It was Piero.

That was the only logical conclusion Bella could come to whenever she thought about what had happened to Emily. It made too much sense to ignore.

She remembered how frantic Jacob had been after a certain conversation with Piero that had apparently sounded a lot less like innocent curiosity and a lot more like a potential threat on Edward's life.

Piero was dangerously interested in the wolves and their Imprints, and Bella feared what kind of hell might be coming for Edward and Jacob.

She told all of this to Carlisle, who only looked pained at her words.

"Bella, this is a delicate situation—"

"It's not delicate! It was murder!" Bella understood the Volturi's power, but this was too close to home to just brush off. Carlisle sighed.

"Okay, let's say he _was_ the one who arranged for Emily's murder. What would we be able to do about it? We certainly can't retaliate. That would bring the wrath of the Volturi down on us, and we may be a strong coven but not as strong as the Volturi. And it's unlikely we could bring charges against him to the Volturi because it's very probable that Aro _instructed_ for this to happen."

Bella wasn't giving up yet.

"What if we contacted our cousins in Denali? Or any other vampires you might know who would be willing to help us?"

"We can't very well build up an army against the Volturi with Piero here. He would send word to Aro immediately."

Bella wanted to rip her hair out.

"Don't you want to protect Edward?" she cried. Carlisle flinched.

"Of course I do, Bella. But we have to handle this situation carefully. We can't risk doing anything that would result in the Volturi coming here before we are ready. The best thing we can do right now is keep Piero in the dark about what's happened to Sam."

Bella fumed. She didn't like the idea of just sitting around and waiting to see what Piero would do next. She had been deferring to Carlisle's position of leadership in the coven, but his refusal to act sent Bella along on her next plan of action.

"We're going to Denali," she stated to Jasper and Alice upon entering their shared room. Both vampires were too used to Bella's sometimes-impulsive decision-making to be startled by her statement, but they did look wary.

"May I ask why?" Alice asked, standing from where she was curled up at the window seat and walking over to Bella.

"Piero is up to something. And we need to be prepared for that. We're going to Denali and anywhere else we might be able to find allies."

Jasper let out a sigh.

"Bella, there are very few—if any—vampires whose allegiance to us would outweigh their fear of the Volturi." He approached Bella, looking into her eyes intently. "We can certainly go to Denali if you would like to, but I want you to know that they will most likely refuse to get involved. And it's far too dangerous to try to go finding other vampires in other parts of the country. Especially since you are still a newborn."

"Does no one care that Jacob and Edward's lives are in danger?" she cried out, stomping past both of them and going over to the window. "Piero's out there right now planning his next move and I guarantee that next move involves Jacob and Edward. It's our duty as family to protect them." She whirled around to face them again. "There has to be someone out there willing to stand up to the Volturi."

"Oh sure," Alice said. "But they're dangerous. Any vampire willing to stand up to the Volturi is."

"Doesn't that make _me_ dangerous?" Bella asked. Alice pursed her lips before breaking out into a grin.

"I suppose," she said.

"Oh no no no!" Jasper said, coming up to them. "We are _not_ going to go looking for homicidal vampires to fight the Volturi."

Both women turned towards him and Jasper knew he was doomed. Alice was looking at him with an innocent expression that was not even close to convincing and Bella was staring him down with a spark in her eyes that he was quite familiar with. Bella smirked when she saw that spark reflected in Jasper's own eyes. The girls moved towards each other while keeping their eyes on him. Bella wrapped her arms around Alice, hands sliding down her back. They both held his gaze for a few moments longer before turning towards each other to share a long kiss.

He was so screwed.

* * *

Stepping into the role of alpha was a bit disorienting for Jacob.

He had started out with the ludicrous thought that once Sam was feeling better, he would take over again.

But Jacob knew, logically, that there was no "getting better" for Sam. His Imprint, his _soul mate_ , was gone. Forever.

And if that idea tumbling through his brain on a day-to-day basis made him more protective of Edward, well, Edward wasn't complaining.

There was another mind-boggling aspect of becoming alpha.

Edward seemed to…belong.

Jacob had been concerned at first that the pack would react badly to Edward joining them. But they seemed to respect him, even admire him. He suspected it might have something to do with Edward's convincing him to take Sam's place.

Along with Jacob's over-protectiveness of Edward, stepping into the role of alpha had woken up other previously dormant tendencies…

" _Mine!"_ Jacob growled, slamming Edward's body down onto the ground. His hands roamed greedily along the sides of Edward's torso, grasping and scratching at the smooth skin.

Edward let out a low moan and pulled Jacob closer for a rough kiss. Jacob snarled against Edward lips before mouthing down his jaw and neck, licking and sucking on the cold skin. When he found a spot on Edward's shoulder that made his Imprint groan and writhe beneath him, Jacob bit down hard.

"Jacob!" Edward cried out. It almost sounded like a sob. One cool hand was fisted in Jacob's hair and the other was sliding up his back. As good as it felt, that kind of freedom to touch simply wouldn't do.

Jacob wrenched the hands off of his body and pinned them above Edward's head. He pulled back and watched in fascination as Edward's eyelids fluttered and his body arched up against Jacob's, searching for more contact. Jacob leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to Edward's lips.

"God, look at you," Jacob murmured against Edward's mouth. His Imprint let out a small whimper that made Jacob see red. Not the kind of red that came right before phasing; a different kind. The kind of red that made him…oh.

Jacob let the shreds of fabric that used to be Edward's shirt slip from his fingers, eyes hungrily taking in the sight of Edward aroused and desperate, abdominal muscles clenching with every upward thrust he attempted against Jacob's body.

"Touch me…." Edward pleaded breathlessly. Well, that was an order Jacob was more than happy to obey. In one slow, smooth motion, he raked his nails down Edward's chest before leaning over and letting his tongue follow the path of his fingers. Edward moaned loudly and his wrists pressed up against Jacob's hand from where they were pinned. Jacob didn't budge and growled in approval when Edward's arms settled back down, submitting.

"So good for me…" Jacob praised, nuzzling Edward's neck.

"Please, Jake," Edward whined.

"What do you need, love?" Jacob was already trailing his hand down Edward's stomach to pull at the waistband of his pants.

"I need _you_!" Edward cried out as he thrust up against Jacob's hand. Jacob chuckled and tightened his hold on Edward's wrists. He ripped open Edward's pants and pressed a hand against his hard cock. Jacob rubbed slowly through the fabric of Edward's underwear, enjoying the sight of Edward getting worked up and desperate.  
"Please, Jake, more. I can't—oh!" Jacob had slipped his hand underneath the underwear and wrapped his fingers around Edward's cock, stroking from base to tip. He had never seen Edward look so gone before. His eyes were clouded as he writhed beneath Jacob. Edward's lips moved but he made no sound.

"What was that?" Jacob grinned, squeezing Edward's cock tighter.

"Take me…" Edward gasped out.

Jacob froze for only a moment, surprised, before flipping Edward over and pulling him back onto his knees. He took time to appreciate the curve of Edward's muscled back and the shaking in his shoulders. Jacob bent over so he was pressed up against him to kiss and nip at the skin of Edward's neck. Edward whimpered and pushed back to rub against Jacob's cock.

With a growl, Jacob ripped down Edward's pants and underwear. Edward shuddered, and Jacob knew it wasn't from any reaction to the cold weather. He brought two fingers around to press against Edward's lips and watched as Edward sucked on them greedily. They were dripping when Jacob pulled his hand away and he swiftly brought his fingertips to Edward's entrance but stopped there. He circled the hole gently and smirked when Edward let out an impatient whine.

"Please…"

Jacob would never get tired of listening to Edward beg like this. He slowly pushed in one finger to the second knuckle, concentrating on not hurting Edward. Judging from the sounds his Imprint was making, Jacob was far from hurting him.

"More," Edward demanded, trying to grind back onto Jacob's finger.

Jacob pushed the rest of the way in and Edward keened. Jacob marveled at the velvet tightness around his finger. He rubbed against Edward's walls, pushing in as deep as he could.

"More," Edward repeated and Jacob quickly complied, sliding in a second finger.

"You're so tight," he murmured as he slowly opened Edward up.

"Oh…nnnghh…Jake oh god…OH!" Edward jerked forward before quickly pushing back. "Again! Do it again!" Jacob reached for that same spot and felt as Edward seemed to both melt and wind up like a coil beneath him. Delighted by this discovery, Jacob mercilessly massaged Edward's prostate and watched his Imprint fall apart.

"Take me, Jake…please take me…need you so bad…"

The pull of obedience wasn't as strong with Edward in such a submissive state, but Jacob wasn't sure he would have been able to last much longer anyway. He quickly did away with his pants before pressing the head of his cock right up against Edward's hole. Jacob leaned forward over Edward's back again and re-pinned his wrists above his head. Edward tried to push back but Jacob pulled back.

"Please, please, please…"

"I love you, Edward," Jacob whispered in his ear before slowly pushing in. Edward cried out and pushed back, trying to take more. Jacob stilled and hummed in amusement at Edward's impatient whimpers. He pressed a tender kiss against Edward's neck, and then all semblance of gentleness fell away.

Jacob pulled out slowly before slamming back in, setting a fast pace and making his Imprint moan and gasp with each thrust. As Jacob fucked into him, Edward's back muscles bunched and stretched. His head dropped down, exposing the long pale neck that Jacob couldn't help leaning forward to bite into.

"Please…please touch me," Edward sobbed.

"No," Jacob said with a particularly hard thrust, making Edward lurch forward from the force of it.

"Jake, please!" Edward's wrists started twitching underneath Jacob's hand again. Jacob let out a growl, picking up the pace and clenching down on Edward's hands. He brought his free hand around Edward's torso but only so he could rub and pull on Edward's nipple.

"Just like this…" Jacob murmured in his ear, voice low and even. Edward let out a frustrated noise that quickly turned into a cry of pleasure. Jacob sunk his teeth once more into Edward's neck, savoring the sweet taste of his Imprint's skin.

"Jake…Jake…oh! I'm going to—"

Jacob felt Edward's muscles clamping down on him so hard that his vision went red again. His jaw clenched tighter on Edward's skin and then he was coming.

It was unreal. As they climaxed together, Jacob was acutely aware of something shifting inside of him. Like a piece of his soul was settling into place. Latched together with Edward in ecstasy set something in motion. A feeling more intense than anything the Imprint had ever roused in him. It was both wildfire and gentle waves; a love burning hot inside of him but in the sweetest way possible.

Jacob let go of Edward's wrists and wound both arms tightly around him. He carefully released the hold his teeth had on Edward's skin, licking at the silvery white marks he had managed to leave behind. Edward let out a contented sigh and shifted them so they were lying on their side, but still connected. He tilted his head back and gently pressed his lips against Jacob's.

"That was surreal," Edward whispered. Jacob grinned and leaned in to re-capture Edward's lips.

* * *

 _'Wow. No need to ask where you've been,'_ Quil's voice echoed in Edward's head as he and Jacob re-joined the pack. Edward was sure that, were he still capable of doing so, he would blush.

 _'Shut up, Quil,'_ Jacob grumbled but he couldn't keep back the fresh wave of memories that flooded into all of their minds. Edward shivered, stepping closer to Jacob.

 _'Damn Edward. You're a trooper,'_ Paul's voice was mocking and Jacob growled.

 _'Leave Edward alone, Paul,'_ Seth spoke up.

 _'That Piero guy has been sneaking around, Jake,'_ Leah interrupted, getting down to business. _'He keeps coming buy asking to talk to Sam. His interest in the Imprint is becoming borderline creepy.'_

"Oh it crossed that line long ago," Edward said out loud. He still would have to get used to the unsettling feeling he got in his stomach every time six wolves turned to focus on him. "It's quite possible he was the one who orchestrated Emily's murder."

All six wolves growled at that.

 _'Why haven't we killed this guy yet?'_ Paul asked. Edward sighed. It seemed that no matter how many times he explained the magnitude of the Volturi's power, it would not deter the wolves from wanting to pick a fight with Piero.

Just then, Edward's cell phone started ringing. He shared a quick glance with Jacob before answering it.

"Alice," he greeted.

"We're going to Denali and possibly other places to round up enough muscle to fight the Volturi," Alice said in response. "Think you can keep Piero off our tails until we're out of the state?"

"That is the worst idea you have ever had," he replied.

"It was Bella's idea."

Edward grimaced. An uprising against the Volturi was a death wish.

"What do you See?" he asked, knowing she would understand what he meant.

"It's unclear. But the fact that I don't See them giving us a straight-out 'no' gives me hope. It would take some convincing but it might work." Edward scoffed but Alice persisted, "They have more reason to hate the Volturi than most."

"I suppose that's true," he said, letting out a sigh. "I don't know how we can keep Piero off of you though."

"I think you should take him to see Sam," Alice said. Edward dropped his jaw at that.

"I take it back," he replied. " _That_ is the worst idea you have ever had."

"It's the only thing that will be interesting enough to distract him from us leaving. I know it's a lot to ask of Sam but Bella's right, we can't just sit around waiting for Piero to make his next move. And you _know_ there will be a next move."

Edward looked at all the wolves who were staring fixedly at him.

"I don't think this will go over well." There was no way that the wolves would be on board with this.

"Tell them that it's for the greater good. Tell them we're building an army to take on the Volturi."

Edward chuckled. "Rebellion suits you, Alice," he said fondly. "Alright, I'll let you know when the cost is clear."

The line went dead.

Edward turned directly towards Jacob. He knew he would need his support on this. Overtly deferring to Jacob as leader was his best bet at convincing the pack to go through with this.

"Bella, Alice, and Jasper are going to Denali to start building an uprising against the Volturi." He decided to start with the part he knew the wolves would be most excited about first.

 _'Hell yes! I knew I always liked Bella!'_ Paul enthused. There was a ripple of agreement amongst the other wolves but Jacob was staring at Edward intently.

 _'What's the catch?'_ he asked. Damn, his wolf knew him well.

"They need a suitable distraction for Piero so they can leave the state undetected." Edward usually wasn't one to beat around the bush. But he had to admit that standing amongst a pack of wolves that could tear him to shreds made him a little hesitant to share the bad news. Luckily for him, it seemed Jacob had already figured it out.

 _'No, Edward. We are not letting him anywhere near Sam.'_ Growls sounded off around him and Edward took a subconscious step closer to Jacob. He threaded his fingers through Jacob's fur to ground himself.

 _'_ That's _your distraction?'_ Embry asked, incredulous _._

"Your unwillingness to let him see Sam so far has only piqued his interest. He wants to know what it is you're all protecting." Edward tried to be rational but—as much as he loved Jacob—he knew that wolves didn't really operate on rationality, especially not when it came to other members of the pack.

 _'I think we should do it,'_ Seth said. All eyes turned towards him, shocked. He continued. _'All of us will be there to protect Sam and with Edward able to monitor Piero's thoughts, we might also be able to find out what he's doing here and what his real interest in the Imprint is.'_

Everyone, Edward included, gaped at the youngest member of the pack.

 _'That's…actually really smart,'_ Quil said.

"Bella thinks that Piero is getting ready to make his next move and it _would_ be nice to get some idea of what that might be. I can tell he's blocking some of his thoughts when he's around me. He probably picked up the technique after so many years with Aro. My family does it all the time when they don't want me to know something. But he can only really do that by focusing on something else. Being able to examine Sam might make him drop some of those mental blocks." Edward wasn't sure why he was championing this idea. It really was dangerous. But he also knew that they had no other option. They were walking around blind right now, not knowing what Piero was after or what he planned to do.

No one made any definitive statements for a few minutes. Edward could hear and see them all mentally processing his words, weighing the pros and cons. After a while, Jacob let out a heavy sigh and straightened up. He turned to Edward.

 _'We will be planning. Meticulously. I am not going to waste this opportunity. There's too much at stake.'_

Edward nodded, in awe of the power and control that Jacob was exuding. His authoritative tone left no room for argument and Edward felt a shiver of arousal.

"Of course," he managed. "Planning. Meticulously. Definitely."  
Edward could swear that Jacob was smirking at him right now but it was hard to tell by the wolf's facial features.

 _'Oh god, get a room,'_ Paul groaned as he picked up on the thread of Jacob's thoughts. Edward was almost certain that he managed to blush this time.


	21. Chapter 21

Despite being alpha, Jacob had to do a lot of talking before the elders finally allowed Piero access to the reservation. But he managed it. He still wasn't sure how.

His anxiety worsened the closer his car got to the border. The wolf inside of him was snarling at the thought of Piero stepping a single toe onto La Push territory. He was personally driving a very real and very dangerous threat home to his people. As an alpha, he was somewhat disgusted with himself.

"Stop that," Edward interrupted his thoughts. Jacob looked over towards him and drew strength from his confidence. Despite the uncomfortable feeling of Piero watching their every move from the back seat, Jacob reached out over the console of his car to take hold of Edward's hand.

Luckily Piero wasn't speaking much. He seemed to realize the very fragile nature of the permission granted to him to cross into Quileute territory.

Jacob held his breath as he drove over the border and then slowly exhaled once they had crossed over. He had to make a very conscious effort not to phase. The stress of holding back brought forth memories of when he had first found out about being a wolf, when he had almost no control and would easily phase if Paul riled him up too much.

 _You're an alpha_ , he reminded himself. _Stay calm. Just like Sam._

A lump rose in Jacob's throat at that thought. He was bringing the probable orchestrator of Emily's death right to Sam's door. Was this a mistake? Was he betraying his pack? Was he betraying everyone who lived on the reservation?

Edward's hand tightened slightly on his own and Jacob reminded himself to breathe. They had been very thorough in their planning. Currently Leah and Seth were flanking the car in wolf form. The elders had insisted on an "armed" escort.

As they came up on Sam's home, Jacob was feeling fairly ill. His mood lifted slightly when he saw Jared, Quil, Embry, and Paul standing on the front porch.

No one spoke as they exited the car. The atmosphere was tense, as the pack had absolutely refused to make any effort at making Piero feel at all welcome.  
Piero remained silent as they approached the front door. Jacob had to very sternly talk himself out of taking Piero down and dragging him off the reservation with his teeth.

Quil, Embry and Paul led the way through the front door and Jacob had to bite back a growl as they approached where Sam was seated in the kitchen, still staring off into space. This wasn't right! Jacob's hand twitched and Edward pulled him back a bit.

Piero was not allowed to touch Sam. The ground rules were simple. Piero could ask one question. If Sam didn't answer, Piero had to leave. If Sam did answer, then Piero would be permitted to continue asking questions until Sam refused to answer anymore. Jacob was torn between wishing that Sam wouldn't answer any of Piero's questions and hoping to hear Sam speak for the first time since Emily was murdered. Also, the more that Sam talked, the more time Bella, Alice, and Jasper would have to get out of the state undetected.

Jacob watched Piero watch Sam. There was no denying Piero's interest in the man whose life he had ruined. It made Jacob's stomach turn. Sam's eyes were dark and hollow looking. He looked almost emaciated as he refused to eat very much. Jacob wondered if his muscles had atrophied from his lack of movement over the last few weeks. Piero had done this to him. Jacob was an awful alpha and a terrible friend.

"Hello, Sam," Piero began as he approached slowly. Sam suddenly growled threateningly, glowering down at Piero's feet. Jacob looked to see the toe of Piero's boot on the edge of the bloodstain that Sam refused to allow anyone to cover up.

"Oh. My apologies," Piero said, stepping to the side away from the stain. Sam's growling stopped and his eyes turned back to focus on a knot in the wood of the kitchen table.

"Sam, I would like to ask you some questions," Piero continued. Jacob shivered uncomfortably at the lilting voice. It left his insides feeling cold and wretched.

"Sam, look at me," Piero said, somewhat sharply. Jacob growled at the commanding tone in his voice. But he was silenced as he watched Sam's eyes come into focus and turn to face Piero. Piero smiled.

"Very good," he purred, and Sam shifted in his seat looking very pleased with himself.

Jacob's jaw dropped.

"I need you to answer some questions for me, Sam," Piero said. Sam nodded and scooted his chair closer to where Piero was standing. Piero rattled off question after question and Sam gave monotonous answers with a dazed expression on his face. Jacob look towards where Paul and Quil were standing, eyes wide. They looked just as dumbfounded as he felt.

 _'What's going on, Edward?'_ Jacob needed to know what was running through Piero's mind. But Edward was rubbing his temples with his fingers with his eyes squeezed shut, seemingly in pain. That wasn't right. Vampires weren't supposed to get headaches.

Jacob took Edward's hand and gently squeezed. Edward seemed to draw strength from his touch. He pulled himself up, his face transforming from that of pain to that of determination. Jacob waited patiently. Seconds later, Edward's eyes flew open; his face equal parts horrified and furious.

" _No!"_ he growled, lunging at Piero before anyone could hold him back.

Sam jumped up from the table and immediately phased, pouncing forward and biting down hard around Edward's neck.

Jacob saw red and suddenly he was standing on four legs instead of two. He went for Sam's shoulder but rather than howl in pain, Sam seemed to only bite down harder onto Edward's neck. But then both Sam and Jacob were thrown across the room. It had all happened in a matter of seconds. Jacob looked up to see the entire pack had phased into wolf form. Seth was standing by Edward, nudging gently at his neck with his muzzle and examining him for injury. Apparently they had all phased inside Sam's kitchen. The appliances were broken and dented. The cabinets were in pieces.

Jacob didn't have time to ponder the wreckage as Sam was lunging at _him_ this time. Jacob pushed back against the force of the attack, unwilling to be taken down. And that was when Jacob realized.

 _'Everyone quiet!'_ he ordered as he struggled against Sam. The jumble of voices in his head ceased for a moment. Sam was still snarling and snapping at him, but there was no voice to accompany the struggle.

 _'He's not in the mind link.'_ Jacob thought, shocked.

 _'How the hell?'_ Leah asked. Jacob noted that her voice sounded slightly panicked. It wasn't possible for Sam to be out of the mind link unless—

 _'Retreat!'_ he ordered.

 _'Jake, you can't—'_

 _'I said, retreat!'_

The pack bolted.

When he was sure the pack was well away, Jacob gave a harder shove at Sam before darting back and crashing through the already battered threshold, stumbling out onto the front porch. He looked up and saw Edward waiting at the end of the drive. Jacob ran to him and then suddenly they were both running, following the familiar scent of the pack through the woods.

 _'Edward what was that?'_

Edward didn't reply for a moment, seemingly in shock.

 _'Edward!'_

"Sam Imprinted on Piero."

 _'What?!'_ Leah's voice boomed out as she heard Edward's response through Jacob's mind.

 _'How is that even possible?'_ Seth asked.

"Piero initiated it. I don't know how. But Sam definitely Imprinted."

 _'How does Piero have the power to do that?'_ Jacob asked.

"It has to be some sort of mind control. I've seen it before. We have friends in the Amazon who can cast visual projections. But to be able to initiate an Imprint…Piero is far more powerful than we originally thought."

 _'So how do we kill him?'_ Paul asked. Jacob snorted.

 _'Idiot. You think we'll be able to get to him without having to fight Sam?'_

 _'Sam's not a part of the pack anymore!'_ Paul argued.

 _'Just because his mind-link is gone does not mean he is any less of a brother. He is still a Quileute wolf and it is our duty to keep him safe.'_

 _'Bang up job there,'_ Paul snorted. _'Now he's gone and Imprinted on a leech. No offense, Edward.'_

"None taken. I can't help but feel responsible for this. I'm the one who pushed the idea of bringing Piero to Sam in the first place."

 _'No. Don't do that.'_ Jacob ordered. _'That final decision fell on me. Clearly this is not what we were expecting when we brought him onto the Rez. But now we have to see if it was worth the sacrifice. Did Bella make it out of state?'_

Edward had his phone in hand before Jacob even finished the thought. After only half a ring, Bella answered.

"We're out," Bella said. She sounded somewhat exhilarated. Jacob snorted at the obvious thrill she was getting out of the situation. Edward and Jacob finally reached the rest of the pack.

"Sam Imprinted on Piero," Edward said. There was no answer for a moment and then it was Alice's voice coming through the phone.

"How?" was all she asked.

"I think Piero possesses some particularly powerful mind control abilities. Now we know why he was so keen to learn more about the Imprint."

"So it seems as though our mission has gained a new sense of urgency." Alice sounded slightly frustrated, but still confident in her ability to deliver a solution. "We're ditching the car in Canada and will run the rest of the way to Denali. After that I think that we should probably head to the Amazon to see Zafrina. Having mind control on both sides might even the playing field."

"Good idea."

"Call back when you get to Denali."

With that, Edward hung up and turned to Jacob.

 _'What now, Edward?'_

Edward sighed. "Now, we wait."

* * *

Piero watched curiously as Sam stumbled around the front lawn. The man and the wolf seemed to be combating one another. Sam was alternating between screaming and growling as he phased from wolf to human and back again. As much as Piero would have loved to sit on the mostly-destroyed porch all night to study Sam's break down, he knew he needed to get him under control.

"Sam. Come here." The wolf rushed to obey. "Good boy." Piero reached out cautiously, moving to pet the large head, mindful of the wolf's muzzle. Sam growled at the movement for only a moment before his mood switched again and then suddenly he was nuzzling into Piero's hand like a loyal dog under his master's hand.

The effect was immediate. Piero felt a rush of warmth shoot up his arm as his mind buzzed with excitement. Surprised, he snatched back his hand only for Sam to follow the movement. And then suddenly he had an armful of naked man.

"Mine," Sam murmured, snuggling in close and wrapping his arms around Piero's waist in a possessive embrace. Piero wasn't sure how to respond to that.

"Er…" It wasn't often that he was rendered speechless but the exuberant affections were new to him. Unsure of what else to do, Piero tentatively slid his arms around Sam, returning the embrace. Sam let out a contented sigh before pulling back slightly to look into his eyes. His brow furrowed.

"That's not right," he said, looking concerned. "You're not supposed to have red eyes."

Piero rolled his eyes at that. "The Cullens are one of the very few exceptions to the rule when it comes to their diet."

"Only bad vampires have red eyes," Sam said, looking a little dazed.

"Come, Sam. Let's get you to bed." Judging by the dark circles under Sam's eyes and the pale color of his skin, it was clear to Piero that Sam would be of little use to him until he was well-rested.

"Will you stay with me while I sleep?" Sam asked, smiling shyly. Piero sighed.

"I suppose. I don't really have anything better to do."

Later that night, as Piero lay in Sam's bed with the man practically wrapped around him, he pondered the slight miscalculation he might have made with the Imprint. He had been so focused on the goal of long-term control that he had thought very little on how to deal with a doting mess of a wolf. While it spoke volumes of the very intense sense of loyalty that Sam now apparently felt for him, Piero was not used to such displays of affection. With the Volturi, everything was about power, sex, and blood. There was very little room for any sense of love or warmth. Aro certainly tried to make his followers feel welcome and appreciated, but underneath all of the pleasantries and polite talk one could tell that crossing him would result in nothing but a violent death.

"Pi…ro…" Sam muttered, snuggling in closer.

For the first time in centuries, Piero felt his dead heart clench.

…Oh no.

* * *

Edward let out a fondly exasperated chuckle as Jacob slammed him up against the side of the very cliff he had seen Bella jump off of in Alice's vision all those months ago. That day felt ages away.

"How…can you possibly….be in the mood...right now?" he asked between Jacob's frantic kisses. Jacob thrust a leg between Edward's thighs, letting out a low moan as he ground against the growing bulge in his pants.

"Are you kidding?" he asked, leaning in to nip at Edward's jaw and neck. "Sam's Imprinted on the enemy, Bella's gathering an army, and the Volturi could show up at any moment to wipe us all out. Now is the time to live." With that, Jacob dove back in to kiss Edward, nibbling and licking at his lower lip. Edward let out a growl, pushing at Jacob and flipping them around. Jacob didn't seem to mind, pulling Edward flush against him before going back to attacking his mouth. Jacob felt Edward smirk.

"Jacob… _stay still_ ," Edward murmured gently against Jacob's lips. Jacob let out a low whine. _Not this again._

Edward chuckled. "Oh yes. This again." He gracefully slid to his knees. In one swift movement he had Jacobs pants down around his ankles and his mouth on Jacob's cock.

"Ah! Edward!" he gasped out, desperately wanting to thrust into that cold mouth. But his hips held absolutely still from Edward's order. "Damn you," he muttered. Edward simply chuckled in response. "Please let me touch you," Jacob whimpered. He looked down and saw topaz eyes looking up at him. It was almost too much. Edward slowly slid his mouth off of Jacob's cock.

"You can move your hands. But _only_ your hands." And just like that he was back to swallowing down Jacob's length. Jacob wasn't sure how long he was going to last at this rate. He slid his fingers into Edward's hair, reveling in the feather-soft feel of it. He gave an experimental tug and saw stars at the sensation of Edward humming around him. Edward slipped a finger between Jacob's legs and started to gently rub at his entrance. Jacob groaned as the little power he had managed to grasp was ripped from his hands. Edward pulled off again and Jacob whined in protest. This was so unfair.

"I seem to recall a few months ago, Jacob, while we were on the beach. You had quite a few dirty thoughts running through your head didn't you?" Edward's finger pushed gently at Jacob's hole. Jacob's breath hitched. Edward rose from where he was kneeling at Jacob's feet. His face was so close, all Jacob had to do was lean forward a few inches to bring their lips together. But Edward's order kept Jacob's head obediently still. He used his previously-freed hands to tug at Edward in an attempt to draw him closer but his Imprint didn't budge at all.

"Turn around, Jake," Edward murmured and Jacob would have collapsed to his knees at the predatory nature of Edward's tone had he not been held so firmly in place. Slowly, he turned to face the cliff that he had been leaning against.

"Do you think we'll ever manage to do this in an actual bed?" he breathed out. Edward laughed.

"I think we'd probably break whatever bed we managed to get into," he replied. Cold hands traced down Jacob's spine and he wanted nothing more than to pounce on Edward and take him right then and there. But Edward was calling the shots now and despite Jacob's newfound alpha tendencies, he found himself enjoying the dominance.

Jacob barely managed to contain his yelp when he felt two wet fingers gently circling his entrance.

"Now, be a good little pup and remind me exactly what you were thinking about that day on the beach," Edward purred into his ear as he started pushing a finger inside of Jacob.

"Nnngh…I was—ah!—thinking about…oh god right there!" Jacob tried to push back on the fingers but the order's hold on him was unwavering.

"Thinking about…?" Edward prompted.

"Thinking about…when I was…fingering myself…in bed—oh please!" Tears of frustration spilled over his cheeks and he sobbed loudly, his words becoming a jumble of filthy pleas and adoring praise.

"You were trying to get me worked up, weren't you?" Edward pushed in a second finger and Jacob practically howled. " _Weren't_ you?" Edward made a particularly hard jab at Jacob's prostate.

"Ah! Yesyesyes I was" he cried out. "Oh god please take me Edward!"

Edward pressed a kiss to Jacob's shoulder before sliding his fingers out. Jacob whimpered at the empty feeling but any protest he might have had was wiped away when he felt Edward's cock slowly pushing into him.

"Ooh yes," Jacob breathed out. When Edward was fully seated and his chest was pressed flush against Jacob's back, though, he stopped moving. "Edward, _please_. Please move." There were a few seconds of silence and then…  
"No," was the simple reply. Jacob's mind went momentarily blank.

"What?"

"I said no, Jake."

" _Edward_ —"

"Fuck yourself on my cock, Jake."

Jacob's hips thrust forward of their own accord before snapping back. He repeated the movement again. And again. And—

"Faster," was Edward's next order. Jacob cried out as his hips sped up. He felt so wanton and dirty doing this while Edward just stood there, still as a statue.

"You're going to fuck yourself on my cock until you come, Jacob," Edward murmured. Jacob let out a wail as he thrust faster of his own volition this time, spurred on by Edward's words. Fingers threaded through his hair and tugged. Jacob let out a low moan. "Like that, do you?" Another tug and Jacob was pushing back even harder onto Edward's cock. "I think he does."

Jacob was so focused on Edward's words and touches that he didn't realize how quickly he was approaching orgasm until he was spilling over, calling out Edward's name over and over like a mantra. Jacob didn't have much time to recover before he was being turned around and pushed to his knees.

"Suck me, Jake," Edward ordered and Jacob was more than happy to comply. He swallowed down the magnificent cock before him, moaning at the feeling of it sitting heavy on his tongue. Edward's fingers gripped at Jacob's hair again, causing Jacob to let out another long moan that made Edward's hips thrust forward.

"That's a good little pup," Edward breathed. Jacob inwardly smiled at the shaky tone of his voice. It only took a few minutes of sucking and licking before Edward was crying out and spilling down Jacob's throat. Jacob reveled in the taste and kept gently suckling at Edward's cock until he was pulled to his feet. He was startled to see the intense look in Edward's eyes.

"Edward?"  
"I want you to listen very carefully to me, Jake. Do I have your full attention?"

"Where's this coming from all of a sudden? Is everything okay?"

" _Do I have your_ full _attention?"_ Edward ground out. Jacob stared for a moment before nodding.

"Jacob Black, as your Imprint I _order_ you to never Imprint on anyone else ever again. Do you understand?"

Jacob shuddered at the tone of Edward's voice and the sensation of a new order taking hold in his mind. He smiled at his Imprint.

"I understand, Edward." With that, Jacob leaned forward to press a gentle kiss to Edward's lips.


	22. Chapter 22

Things were getting a little out of hand for Piero.

He had hoped that once he initiated the Imprint, he would be able to call Aro out to Forks and finish his mission so he could finally leave this place. But he was finding himself almost constantly running into complications.

The biggest complication was Sam's apparent infatuation with him. And the kinds of feelings that the infatuation inspired in Piero.

Sam was looking less and less like the hollow man he had been when Piero had finally been allowed to enter the wolves' territory just a few days ago. Piero was glad to see that Sam was doing better. He told himself it had everything to do with needing Sam at full strength for Aro's arrival. It had absolutely _nothing_ to do with any feelings of compassion or concern for the man.

Piero was no stranger to intimacy with men. But that intimacy was usually rough, violent, and it's sole purpose was to climax and then be done.

But this intense affection and attention that Sam showered on him was unnerving to say the least.

"Piero you really should try drinking animal blood. It makes me sad when you kill people." Sam was pouting. Piero very firmly reminded himself that pouting was irritating and not endearing.

"Sam, we've discussed this. Drinking human blood is how I choose to live my life—"

"Well it shouldn't be!" Sam was starting to get angry. This happened from time to time. It seemed that the new Imprint, despite its overwhelming power, would sometimes become unseated in Sam's mind. Some of the fury and righteous anger that he had displayed before the human girl's death came back. Or it tried to. Sam was obviously struggling with the conflicting emotions.

Piero was disgusted with himself for feeling guilty about it.

Sam was getting ready to start yet another rant on the ethics of hunting humans when Piero abruptly stood up.

"I'm going out," he said, turning towards the door. Sam's angered expression quickly morphed into one of panic.

"Where?" he cried out, jumping from his seat and following closely behind.

"I'm going to hunt." Piero knew he was probably being cruel, but he was losing control of the situation. He was starting to regret this entire mission. Regretted ever having stepped foot into Forks.

"You can't!" Sam yelled, gripping tightly to Piero's shirt. Tears started pooling in his eyes. Piero had had enough. He wrenched himself from Sam's grasp.

"I am going to hunt. When I come back you will apologize for your disrespect and then we will never discuss my hunting ever again. Is that understood?"

Sam was struggling, Piero could see that. He was shaking in anger and it looked like he might be getting ready to phase. Piero didn't like making Sam upset. It caused an ache deep within his chest that he couldn't shake no matter how much blood he guzzled down. He knew it had something to do with the Imprint and he damned the double-sided nature of the bond.

Piero did not wait for a confirmation from Sam before turning and heading out the door. A wolf was powerless to fight the command of an Imprint.

Piero's guilt weighed heavily in his chest as he ran north towards the national park around Lake Ozette. There wasn't much to choose from there by way of selection, as it was mostly hikers and park rangers. But it was far enough away from Forks that he didn't get any trouble from the Cullens for hunting there.

The farther he ran, the more wretched Piero began to feel. By the time he arrived and had found a lone hiker trudging through the words, Piero felt like he was about to collapse.

 _I'll just drink the hiker and head back to La Push._ Piero told himself. He was about to make the lunge at the hiker's neck when a most peculiar feeling came over him. Black spots clouded his vision and his mind felt like it was…

 _Am I dying?_

To Piero's great surprise, he suddenly fell unconscious.

* * *

"We're in."

Bella was, in a word, shocked.

She had expected a bit more convincing would be necessary to persuade Tanya and her coven to come to Forks but it had been…oddly easy.

"Oh," was all Bella managed to say in reply.

"Not to sound ungrateful, Tanya, but we were expecting more of a fight from you," Jasper said, apparently just as shocked as Bella was. Alice, of course, only looked smug.

"Yeah Tanya, I'm not sure about this," Irina said, glancing between Bella, Alice, and Jasper nervously.

"Nonsense!" roared Eleazer. He threw a jovial arm around Bella's shoulder. Jasper growled threateningly. "Easy there, Jasper. Hackles down," he teased. He turned back to Bella. "You've got spunk, kid. I admire that. You also might be a little crazy. I admire that too. It's about time someone stood up to the Volturi. Your Gift will no doubt come in handy, I'm sure," he chuckled.

"I don't have any Gifts," Bella said, confused.

"Oh Bella!" Alice cried out happily, darting over to knock Eleazer to the side and throw her arms around Bella's neck. "It's so wonderful and perfect! I knew it had to be something!"

"What are you talking about?"

"Eleazer can identify other vampire's Gifts. It's quite useful when we're facing off against an unfamiliar coven," Kate explained.

"You're a Shield, Bella!" Alice chimed, leaning in to plant an enthusiastic kiss on Bella's lips.

"Mmph!" Bella was surprised by the sudden onslaught of affection but quickly recovered, kissing back hungrily. Alice and Jasper always managed to stir her up whenever they touched her, regardless of their intentions.

"Ahem," Tanya coughed delicately. Bella broke the kiss and pulled back slightly from Alice's embrace, embarrassed

"What's a Shield?" she asked, turning towards Eleazer. He smirked.

"I think Kate can explain better than I can," he said. Kate grinned in response and strutted towards Bella. Jasper and Alice jumped into action, putting themselves between Bella and Kate.

"Oh relax, you two. If we're right about this, she won't feel a thing," Kate said, rolling her eyes. She darted around them and came to grab Bella's hand. Bella waited.

"So…what's a Shield?" she asked, still confused. Alice and Jasper gaped at her, looking bewildered. Kate laughed.

"I just sent you a psychic pulse of 10,000 volts, Bella," she grinned, trotting back over towards Tanya when Alice and Jasper sent a glare her way. Bella looked at the hand Kate had been holding, surprised.

"I have a Gift?" she asked, feeling a bit stupid. How had they not found out about this sooner?

"Quite a useful one, at that. Especially against the Volturi," Alice said excitedly.

"Enough!" Everyone turned towards Irina, surprised by her outburst. She looked a little panicked. "Are you seriously considering going up against the Volturi? Do you honestly think you have a chance? They're not the most powerful coven in the world for nothing."

"Where's your sense of adventure, Irina?" Eleazer chuckled.

"This isn't an adventure! It's a death wish!" she cried, borderline hysterical.

Bella sighed. This was the kind of push back they had been anticipating when they first came to Denali. She supposed it would have been unrealistic to assume that everyone in the coven would be on board.

"You don't have to come," Tanya said. "But I believe this is the right thing to do. The Volturi's power has grown too great."

"And after what they did to Mother…they deserve it." Kate's voice was like steel. Bella was glad they had her on their side.

"I'm not arguing that, Kate," Irina said, eyes pleading. "But it's a lot of risk for something that will most likely end in disaster. You don't stand a chance!"

"Actually, there's a possibility we might," Alice said, clearly annoyed. "Your coven isn't the only one we're hoping to recruit. And we have the wolves on our side. Edward's mate is the alpha of their pack. The Volturi doesn't have any wolves. It's quite an advantage."

It seemed that Irina could sense she was fighting a losing battle. "Fine. Do what you want. I hope, for your sakes, that I am wrong about this." With that, she darted off.

"Irina!" Eleazer called out.

"Let her go. She's made her choice." Tanya turned towards Bella with a small smile. "Alright, boss. Where to next?" Bella grinned back.

"The Amazon."

* * *

"Edward?"

"Mm?"

"Is this our fault?"

Jacob was jolted from his comfortable position in Edward's arms as his Imprint turned to face him.

"Is what our fault?" Edward's brow furrowed in confusion.

"This. All of this. Emily's murder, Sam's new Imprint, the impending doom that is the Volturi. None of it would have happened if I hadn't Imprinted—"

"I'm going to stop you right there, Jake," Edward said, placing a finger over Jacob's lips. Jacob nodded for Edward to continue. "This Imprint is the best thing that has happened to me in my entire life. Everyone in my family has a partner, and I thought I was destined to be alone forever. Meeting Bella was both a blessing and a curse. I felt like I finally had someone. But I could never let go of my control. Not even for a second. Nothing about my relationship with her was carefree or easy."

Jacob snorted and Edward huffed out a laugh. "I know this hasn't exactly been easy either. But I finally feel like I'm free to be the way I'm supposed to be. The first day we went for a run, it was incredible. I could just _be_. I didn't feel like a monster anymore, at least not in the way I did before.

"I know it feels like we're in the eye of the storm here. But I'm not going to taint our relationship with blame or regret. I will _never_ regret what we have, Jake. This is best gift you could possibly give me."

Jacob's was beet red from the sweet words. When Edward got like this, it was hard not to go all moon-eyed over him. He pulled Edward forward for a chaste kiss on the lips.

"Thank you," he murmured. Edward cradled his face in his hands.

"Thank _you_ ," he replied. Edward pulled back, biting his lip; his expression contemplative.

"What?"

"I was wondering if—"

Edward was interrupted by the sound of a phone going off. He groaned, reaching over to where he had dropped his cell in the grass amongst their clothes.

"Alice."  
"We got 'em!" she crowed loudly. Jacob chuckled at her exuberance.

"That's great, Al. What now?"

"We're heading to the Amazon. Tanya knows some vampires in Nevada and Mexico so we're going to stop there on the way. It's really happening, Edward. We're building an army!"

"When do you think you'll be back in Forks? We don't know how long we have before Piero makes his next move."

"I See us coming back in about a week, assuming everything goes smoothly. One week and I'll have the best damn vampire army in the entire western hemisphere!"

"See you then, Al."

Jacob was smirking slightly when Edward hung up.

"You know, you're lucky that Sam's not alpha right now. There's no way he'd be okay with so many vampires coming to Forks."

"Yes well, luckily I have an in with the current alpha," Edward teased, leaning in.

A howl suddenly sounded off in the distance. The two looked at each other with wide eyes.

"Speaking of Sam," Jacob muttered, jumping up.  
Minutes later they were crossing the La Push border, following the sound of the sorrowful call.

 _'I think he's on the move.'_

Edward nodded slightly from where he was running next to Jacob's wolf form.

"It seems he's heading north. Must be following Piero. He's been hunting up by Lake Ozette."

 _'What's going on?'_ Leah's voice was suddenly in both their heads.

 _'Sam's running off to follow Piero on his hunt.'_

 _'What?!'_

 _'I think you should sit this one out Leah. Too many wolves running around will draw attention.'_

 _'Like hell I will!'_ Leah snarled.

"Let her come. We might need back up," Edward said.

 _'Ha!'_ Leah's voice rang triumphant.

 _'Fine! Just catch up. We're not sure what we're dealing with here.'_

 _'Yeah yeah, I'm coming.'_

Jacob saw through Leah's mind the trees that he and Edward had run through only minutes before. Damn, that girl was fast.

"What do we do if Sam attacks us again?" Edward asked.

 _'I think for this we try to avoid attacking Piero. I don't want to think about what Sam would go through if his second Imprint died too.'_

 _'He's not Sam's Imprint!'_

 _'To Sam he is, Leah!'_

 _'Sam is under mind control!'_

 _'That doesn't make what he's feeling any less valid!'_

"Enough!" Edward hissed. They were finally closing in on Sam, which meant the wolf was slowing down. Piero's scent grew stronger as they approached. Jacob's ears perked at the sound of Leah trotting up behind them.

 _'Okay so we don't attack Piero. What happens if he's in the middle of feeding? I can't just watch him suck a human dry, Jake. I don't care how far away from the reservation we are.'_

"I don't think we're going to have to worry about that," Edward said. "From what I'm picking up from Sam's thoughts right now, Piero is—wait…no that's not right. That's impossible!"

 _'What? Piero is what?'_ Jacob asked, turning to look at Edward. His Imprint's expression was that of utter shock.

"Piero is unconscious," he breathed.


	23. Chapter 23

Jacob watched the scene before him, bewildered.

Piero was in fact unconscious, and Sam was losing his mind. Jacob didn't need a mind link to know that. He watched as Sam's wolf paced back and forth in front of Piero's body, nudging him with his muzzle and whining when he got no response.

 _'What should we do?'_ Leah asked. Jacob wished he knew the answer. He glanced over to Edward who was looking on in utter shock.

 _'Any ideas?'_ he asked. Edward turned towards him.

"My first thought would be to get him some blood," Edward said. At the sound of Edward's voice, Sam whipped around, immediately on high alert. He growled threateningly, placing himself between the three of them and Piero.

"We're not here to hurt anybody, Sam. We want to help."

Sam didn't move from his defensive stance but he did stop growling.

"No, I don't know what's wrong with him. But I think getting him some fresh blood would be a good start." Jacob was relieved that Sam appeared to be willing to communicate with them.

 _'You better be talking about animal blood, Edward. No way am I going to condone killing a human just to keep him alive.'_ Jacob did have his limits on what he was willing to do to help.

"I think a meat eater would suffice. Mountain lion, maybe. I can go see if I can find one if you'd like." Edward seemed to be talking to both Jacob and Sam now.

Sam relaxed his stance a bit. Jacob was relieved to see that his old alpha hadn't gone completely feral as a result of the new Imprint.

 _'Go ahead. We'll keep an eye out here,"_ Jacob said. Edward nodded before running off.

The following few minutes were incredibly tense. Without the mind link, Jacob felt like he was staring down a wild animal rather than a fellow werewolf. He tried hard to push his thoughts towards Sam, to see if he could re-initiate the mind link; but to no avail. It was like poking a dead animal with a stick.

 _'Is it just completely hopeless then? Is he gone from the pack forever?'_ Leah sounded somewhat emotional about it. Jacob knew that she still harbored feelings for Sam. He couldn't imagine what it must be like to watch the person you love Imprint on someone else not once, but twice.

 _'I'm not giving up just yet. I'm hoping we can re-establish a connection.'_ Jacob couldn't help but consider the very real possibility that Piero had used his powers to sever the mind link completely. If that was the case then they were well and truly screwed unless he had a sudden change of heart. But the likelihood of that was—

 _'Minimal at best,'_ Leah finished his thought for him. Jacob sighed. Despite what Edward told him, he still felt responsible for the mess that had come about.

 _'Jake, even if this is all a result of your Imprint, there's nothing you could have done to stop it. You might as well blame yourself for being a werewolf in the first place. It's not something you can control. And wallowing in it will only hinder your ability to make the decisions that you_ can _control.'_

Jacob was taken aback by Leah's profound thoughts. And he couldn't help but agree with her line of thinking.

 _'You're a good friend, Leah.'_ Leah's wolf just snorted in response.

The smell of fresh blood hit Jacob's nose and he realized that Edward must have been successful in his mission.

When Edward emerged from the trees with what looked like a dead grizzly bear slung over his back, Sam started fussing again.

"I couldn't track down any mountain lion but I ran across this guy pretty quickly and decided it was better than nothing," Edward explained, drawing close to where Sam was standing guard over Piero. When he was about ten feet away though, Sam went on the defensive again, growling lowly in his throat. Jacob was a little exasperated by that and a bit nervous for Edward but he trusted his Imprint to do the right thing.

With a show of strength that looked a little ridiculous but also quite impressive for Edward's size, he tossed the dead grizzly bear towards Sam. The animal landed in a heap two feet away from where Sam was standing. Jacob couldn't help but chuckle.

 _'That was one of the silliest interactions between vampire and werewolf that I've ever seen,'_ he chortled. Edward smiled, walking back to where he and Leah were waiting.

"Hush you," Edward murmured, still smiling.

The three of them watched as Sam dragged the bear's corpse towards Piero.

 _'How's he planning on feeding that to Piero?'_ Leah wondered.

Sam used a sharp claw to slash open the bear's neck. Then, to their collective surprise, he phased into human form. Jacob watched in shock as Sam maneuvered the gaping wound towards Piero's mouth. He started speaking softly to him.

"Please Piero, you have to wake up…please wake up…you're all I have left...don't leave me too…I can't go through this again…"

Jacob's heart broke for his pack brother. He couldn't imagine how terrifying it would be to see Edward unconscious and unresponsive. Jacob desperately wanted to help Sam but kept his distance.

"I had wondered if Sam remembered Emily," Edward said quietly. "It seems that despite initiating a new bond, Piero refrained from wiping memories of Sam's previous Imprint. I wonder why that is…"

Suddenly Sam let out a cry of relief. Jacob saw one of Piero's hands slowly reach up to hold the bear steady and then he was drinking.

Before he could stop himself, Jacob was gently nudging at Edward's arm. Edward smiled and brought up a hand to pet Jacob's muzzle.

"I know, pup." Jacob let out a low whine.

When they turned back, it was to the sight of Piero holding Sam close and murmuring in his ear.

"I'm sorry…please forgive me…never again…"

"It seems Piero experienced something similar to what you did when you tried to reject the Imprint," Edward explained, reading Piero's thoughts. "He and Sam had a fight about Piero hunting humans and then he left. The distance on top of the strain on the Imprint from the fight caused a reaction."

 _'What do we do now?'_ Leah asked.

They all watched as Sam phased back into wolf form and Piero staggered to his feet. Slowly, he turned towards Edward and Jacob.

"I owe you two an apology. I had no idea…" he trailed off as he looked to Sam.

"While I do not approve of your methods, I will say that I appreciate your new understanding of the Imprint and how it works," Edward replied.

"I'm not sure what to do. Aro is expecting a report soon. He wants—" Piero abruptly cut himself off, realizing that he was about to give away the Volturi's mission.

"Piero, we would greatly appreciate your help in fighting whatever it is Aro has planned for the wolves, though I think I may have some idea…"

Piero turned to look at Sam fully. The wolf whined and nudged at Piero's hand not unlike the way Jacob had with Edward only minutes ago.

"I was not expecting this," Piero seemed to be talking to them all, though his words were directed at Sam. "I was not expecting to feel this…well, to feel at all." He seemed to be struggling to find the right words. Jacob guessed that it had been a long time since Piero had a heartfelt conversation with anyone.

"The Imprint can be a beautiful thing if treated with care," Edward said, turning to look at Jacob. He reached out to stroke the fur under Jacob's jaw, and the wolf sighed contentedly at the touch.

Piero turned towards them, though he kept a hand on Sam's fur.

"I would like to help," he said. "But I cannot guarantee victory against Aro. He is strong, and with the guard he is even stronger. And I do believe he will be bringing the entire guard."

"What exactly is he coming here to do?" Edward asked. Piero glanced at Sam briefly before turning to answer.

"He plans to enslave the wolves using my Gift. He wants me to initiate Imprints with all of them, and bind them directly to him." Jacob and Leah growled lowly at that. Edward shushed them.

"How do you have the power to do that?" he asked.

"I assume you have met Marcus?"

"Yes. He can identify relationships between others, correct?"

"Yes. Mine is similar in that I can influence relationships. It was no small task to initiate the Imprint. I'm not sure it would have been possible without—" he stopped himself again, looking over at Sam anxiously.

"Without what?" Edward prompted. Piero's eyes never left Sam's face as he answered.

"Without Emily's blood." Sam stiffened a bit at that. "Since the Imprint is part of a wolf's DNA, blood played an important part in initiating a new one."

 _'The bloodstain on Sam's floor,'_ Jacob realized in astonishment.

The delicate nature of the conversation dawned on everyone, and Jacob, Leah, and Edward watched on uneasily as Piero spoke again.

"Sam…I killed Emily."

* * *

"No, absolutely not."

Jasper was looking at the Mexico coven with barely concealed disgust.

"Jasper it's not what you think—" Tanya started but was quickly cut off.

"So you're telling me that they _aren't_ a newborn army? They just all _happen_ to be newborns and just _happen_ to be led by a Childe of Maria herself? Are you insane? How can you condone this?" The Nevada coven that they had picked up on the way to Mexico eyed Jasper warily. He was pretty scary when angry.

Bella tried to calm him. "Jasper—"

"No! I won't allow it. We're leaving." He turned to leave but Tanya gripped his arm and held him firmly in place.

"Just listen, won't you? It's not like before."

Jasper glowered at her but allowed himself to be pulled back.  
Bella didn't know very much about the Southern vampire wars, but she did know that Jasper had fought in the second wave with someone named Maria. The first wave had been started by a vampire named Benito. During the wars Jasper had been ordered to slaughter hundreds of vampires, but because of his Gift he was forced to feel the pain and suffering of every vampire he destroyed while he was killing them. Bella knew that the wars had left quite a psychological scar on Jasper, and she suspected that he might even suffer from PTSD as a result of it. Did vampires get PTSD? She wasn't sure, but it would certainly explain how severely he had reacted to Victoria's army, as well as his current outburst.

The vampire that Bella assumed to be the leader stepped forward, looking at Jasper rather curiously.

"I've heard stories about you, Jasper Whitlock," she said. Jasper snarled.

"I do _not_ answer to that name anymore," he spat. She ignored him.

"The famous Jasper Whitlock, killer of newborns and Sires alike."

Jasper tried to lunge at her but Alice and Bella were quick to hold him back.

"That's enough, Rosa," Tanya said, exasperated. "Try not to provoke Jasper. He does not remember the wars with much fondness."

"Very well." Rosa approached Jasper. "My coven is no army. I like to think of it as more of a foster family." The other vampires in her coven chuckled a bit at that. "After Maria turned me, I was appalled by what she wanted me to do. I did not see the point in killing other vampires. So I fled. All the way to Alaska. That's where I first met Tanya and her coven. And that's where I stayed until the Volturi wiped out the more conspicuous armies. I was disgusted to learn that they had allowed the more discreet armies to continue the wars. So I came back, determined to put an end to it. And that's when I started stealing newborns from the remaining armies." Rosa looked to her coven and smiled. "They stay with me until they learn to control their thirst, and then they leave to move on with their eternity."

"You let them hunt humans," Jasper said, noting the newborns' red eyes, though he didn't sound nearly as angry as before.

"Of course. It's almost impossible for a newborn to resist the call of human blood. And although I live as a vegetarian I do not force that upon them. That is a choice that every vampire must make on their own."

"Bella's resisted. She was turned just a few months ago and has never tasted human blood." Jasper looked very proud and Bella ducked her head, suddenly feeling shy.

"Well, that is a remarkable feat and I commend your efforts, Bella."

"Thank you," Bella mumbled, embarrassed.

"Well now," Tanya spoke up, "I'm glad we got that all out of the way. I suppose I should have warned you, Jasper. I'm sorry." Jasper huffed in response, clearly still feeling tetchy about the whole thing.

"Even if you do decide to help fight the Volturi, I won't allow the rest of your coven to join us," he said to Rosa.

"I wasn't planning on letting them," she said. "And I'm not coming with you, either. I need to stay here with my coven. That's not why Tanya brought you here."

"Rosa has seen dozens of newborns through their first few years," Tanya explained. "And she is still in contact with most of them."

"And I know that quite a few of them would love nothing more than to make a stand against the Volturi," Rosa said. "Many of them resent the fact that the Volturi allowed the wars to continue. They were turned in order to fight in the armies after all. I'm sure quite a few of them would appreciate the chance to face off against those who had the power to stop the wars, but didn't."

Jasper slumped in defeat, no longer able to find fault with Rosa or what she did.

"I apologize," he said.

"Nothing to worry about, dear. It's nice to meet someone who detests newborn armies as much as I do." She turned to Tanya. "Now, I know that Marisol and Lucas are currently in the mountains of Colorado. And Benjamin is in Oregon with a rather large vegetarian coven. Ian is somewhere in the Rockies but I'm not sure if you'll be able to convince him to fight the Volturi. Oh, and dear Luna. She's in Colombia. I know she'll be more than excited to face off against Aro."

"Thank you so much, Rosa," Tanya said.

Later, as they were crossing through Nicaragua, Alice started chuckling. Bella sent her a questioning glance. Alice smiled.

"The Volturi won't know what hit them."

* * *

It was deathly quiet as everyone waited to see how Sam would react. To their surprise, he shifted into human form.

"I know," he said, somewhat sadly.

Well, that's not what Jacob had been expecting.

"You know?" Piero asked, dumbfounded.

"Yes, I know. I've known for a while. I'm not stupid. It made too much sense. And I'll probably never forgive you for it—" Piero winced at that, "—but even though you were the cause of my despair, you're also the one who pulled me up from the ashes. I would have wasted away at that table if you hadn't forced the new Imprint on me."

 _'This is kinda fucked up,'_ Leah said. Jacob couldn't help but agree.

"Sam, I'm so sorry," Piero said, looking ashamed.

"Let's not dwell on it," Sam said. "This new Imprint is like a second chance. For both of us, I think." Sam reached out to take Piero's hand. Piero looked at him in awe.

"I don't deserve you," he breathed. Sam chuckled.

"Probably not. But you get to have me anyway."

 _'This is really,_ really _fucked up,'_ Leah reiterated.

Sam and Piero didn't seem to care how "fucked up" their situation was. They were looking at each other with something akin to hope in their eyes.

 _'Maybe Piero can fix the mind link now,'_ Jacob thought hopefully.

"Let's worry about that later," Edward said, watching Piero and Sam. "I think something truly profound has just happened." Jacob snorted.

 _'You're such a romantic,'_ he teased. Edward smirked.

"We'll see you two back in La Push," he said to the couple. Sam waved his hand in acknowledgement without looking away from Piero.

 _'We're leaving?'_ Leah asked.

"There are some moments that need to be private," Edward explained. "This is one of them."

Later that evening, the entire pack was in front of Sam's house waiting for their old alpha to return.

"I can't believe you didn't just let the leech die, Edward," Paul grumbled.

"Sam would have been devastated," Edward said from where he was seated in Jacob's lap.

"Again," Seth said in agreement.

"I still can't believe he told Sam the truth about Emily," Jacob said, winding his arms around Edward and pulling him close. The events of the day had made him clingier than usual. Edward didn't seem to mind.

"I can't believe Sam was so cool about it," said Embry.

"I think it's sweet," Seth sighed.

"It's fucked up is what it is," Jared said, echoing Leah's earlier sentiments. Jacob laughed.

"I think it's a bit of both," he said, nuzzling into Edward's neck.

"Imprint's are kinda fucked up to begin with," Quil pointed out. There was a chorus of agreement.

"He's here," Leah said from her seat on the porch steps. Everyone scrambled to their feet. Sure enough, moments later, Piero and Sam emerged from the trees.

"Hi guys," Sam greeted. No one seemed to know how to react to his presence, as the last time they saw him he had attacked Edward and then Jacob. After a few moments of awkward silence, Leah approached him. She stood in front of Sam, staring. Then, in a move that surprised everyone, she leaned in and hugged him.

"I'm glad you're doing better," she said. Sam hugged her back, looking a bit bewildered.

"Thanks Lee." Leah smiled at the old nickname. She stepped away and turned to Piero.

"You better not screw up again, leech. I'll have my eye on you," she said before turning and walking into the house.

And just like that the tension was broken. Soon Sam was enveloped by his old pack.

"It's good to see you smiling again," said Seth, hugging Sam tightly.

"Glad you're back, Sam," Embry said.

"Yeah, Jacob is a shit alpha," said Paul.

"Hey!"

"Oh calm down, princess. I was only joking."

"How are you feeling, Piero?" Edward asked. And just like that the tension was back. Everyone turned towards Sam's new Imprint, unsure of how to approach him. Piero looked just as uncomfortable.

"Er…" was Piero's reply. Seth ambled towards him.

"You're on our side now, right?" he asked bluntly. Piero just nodded. Seth smiled. "Good."


	24. Chapter 24

"Please, no more," Bella begged.

She had been practicing controlling and expanding her shield for the last hour and it was quite distressing to watch Jasper writhe around in agony over and over again from Kate's psychic pulses.

"You need to channel your distress into a protective mindset," Kate explained, helping Jasper up from the ground.

"I can't watch this anymore," Bella said.

"Pain is good for the soul, Bella," Luna said. She trotted over to where Kate was standing and held out her hand expectantly. Kate raised an eyebrow but took Luna's hand. Bella watched in both horror and fascination as Luna convulsed and fell to the ground in a pile of giggles.

Luna was an interesting person. She was also a little bit scary and had a wild look about her, more so than even Victoria. Rosa had been right about Luna being "more than excited" to fight the Volturi. Bella would be lying if she said that excitement didn't concern her to some extent.

"Let me try for a while," Alice offered.

"No! No more!" Bella had had enough. She hurried over towards Alice and Jasper, huddling in close.

"You need to learn how to do this, Bella. It's essential if we're going to face Aro and the guard." Kate came close, reaching out her hand. Bella was on her in seconds, her newborn strength allowing her to easily tackle Kate to the ground.

"Don't touch them!" she screeched, feeling slightly crazed.

"Bella it's okay," Alice soothed, calmly gliding over and prying Bella off of Kate. Kate was hardly even fazed by the attack. She simply huffed in annoyance before standing and brushing off her clothes.

"Why can't we just wait until we get to the Amazon? At least Zafrina's powers wouldn't _hurt_ them," Bella said.

"Fine," Kate sighed.

The group walked through the woods towards where Tanya and Eleazer had remained with the Nevada coven. Bella refused to let go of Alice's or Jasper's hand.

"It's alright, Bella. It's really not that bad," Jasper said. Bella knew it was a lie.

"Regardless, I would prefer it if we never had to do _that_ kind of practicing again. I don't know why I need to learn this before we get to the Amazon, especially since we're already so close."

"The more practice you have, the better you'll be when the time comes to face the Volturi," Alice explained as they arrived in the clearing where everyone was waiting. Her words didn't make Bella feel at all better about Kate's "training exercise".

"We're going to have to split up at some point," Henry, the leader of the Nevada coven, said.

"He's right," Stella, another one of their coven, agreed. "We'll be too conspicuous if we continue to travel in such great numbers."

"We also need to cover as much ground as possible, and quickly. We can go find Rosa's other connections while you all head to the Amazon. We can meet outside the Washington state line in Oregon," Henry said.

"Sounds like a decent plan," Tanya praised. "Should we split up by coven?"

"I think we should split up the covens themselves," Eleazer said.

At his words Bella looked anxiously from Alice to Jasper. She did not like the idea of splitting the three of them up.

"How about this: Patrick goes with Jasper, Stella, Tanya, and Kate to find Benjamin, Marisol, Lucas, and Ian. Bella, Alice, Eleazer, Luna, Nina and I will go to the Amazon." Bella wasn't too fond of how Henry was taking the reigns for the mission. But mostly everyone seemed to like Henry's suggestion, and she knew that arguing about it would only delay them.

So it was with great reluctance that Bella split away from Jasper with Alice.

"It's going to be fine," Jasper said, reading Bella's anxiety. He pulled her close.

"Be safe," she murmured, leaning up to press a kiss to his lips.

"You too," he said. Jasper shared a similar farewell with Alice and then they were splitting up.

"I'm going to be so pissed if something goes wrong," Bella muttered as they started running south.

"Don't worry Bella. I See this part of the plan turning out fine." Alice could have been lying just to make Bella feel better, but Bella chose to accept her words.

She was going to kick Jasper's ass if something happened to him, though.

* * *

Piero was slowly adjusting to his new alliance with the pack and, by extension, the Cullens. It was clear to Jacob that he was still conflicted about sharing important information about the Volturi. But every time he stalled or cut himself off, he would look to Sam. Apparently he saw in him what he needed, and would carry on divulging information such as the guard's specific abilities, Aro's plan for the Cullens and the wolves, and the best way to fight against the strength of the Volturi.

The one thing he did that truly curried favor with the pack, though, was restoring Sam's mind link with them.

 _'I never thought I'd say this but I missed having you in my head,'_ Paul joked.

 _'I'll admit, it was uncomfortable being in wolf form but not being able to communicate with all of you,'_ Sam said as they all ran along the border of the reservation.

 _'So does this mean Sam's alpha again?'_ Embry asked that which everyone was trying not to think about. There was a jumble of words as everyone pondered over the question.

 _'That is up to Jacob,'_ Sam answered.

 _'I think you should do it, Jake. No offense, Sam. But your head has been a little too messed with lately,'_ Paul said. Rather than getting offended, Sam just chuckled.

 _'Fair point. Besides, Jacob's lineage dictates that he was supposed to be alpha in the first place.'_

 _'Don't I get any say in this?'_ Jacob asked.

"Okay," Edward agreed. "Do you want to be alpha?"

Jacob's thoughts rang out _'Yes'_ and _'No'_ at the same time as they were coming up on Sam's house.

"Well that's helpful," Edward said, amused.

 _'This is ridiculous,'_ Leah moaned. _'All in favor of Jake as alpha say 'Aye'.'_

 _'Aye!'_

 _'Aye.'_

 _'Aye. It's practically your birthright Jake.'_

 _'Yeah, like Edward's ass. Aye!'_

 _'Shut up, Paul. Aye.'_

 _'You picked up the pack while I was gone. That's no small task, Jacob. Aye.'_

Edward very conspicuously stayed out of the discussion. He didn't think Jacob would appreciate his participation.

 _'Aye,'_ Leah chimed. _'The 'ayes' have it. Congratulations, Jake.'_

Rather than answer, Jacob grumbled before phasing into human form and yanking his pants from the porch. He kept muttering to himself as he went inside the house.

"Didn't even give me a choice…gang up on me…just like before…" Everyone laughed.

Edward followed him inside. He found Jacob sitting on the couch in the living room, looking rather broody.

"If you really don't want to be alpha, you don't have to," he said gently, sitting beside Jacob. He reached out to place a hand on Jacob's back. Jacob leaned into him.

"I know I don't," he sighed. "But I feel like I owe it to them. I know they think I'm a good alpha. I hear it in their thoughts all the time. And with Sam's mind having gone all funny from Piero's Imprint…" he trailed off, clearly frustrated.

"Why don't you want to be alpha?" Edward asked. He had some idea from Jacob's jumbled thoughts. But he believed that Jacob needed to voice everything out loud anyway. Edward had found that Jacob processed things better when he talked about them.

"It's a lot of responsibility," Jacob said. "If something were to happen to any of them…" he trailed off.

"Something is much more likely to happen to them _without_ an alpha," Edward said, trying not to be too pushy.

"I know I know. It was just so much easier when Sam was alpha. I mean yeah, sometimes I disagreed with his decisions but at the same time, I never had to make those tough choices. Now that falls one me. Decisions like letting Piero on the reservation so Bella could go form her army. And look where that got us."

"Well, to be fair, from what I've heard she is building up quite an impressive army," Edward said. "And the Volturi would have been coming back here whether Piero had ended up on our side or not. But now we have more information, thanks to his Imprint with Sam. And in a few days we'll have an army."

"A dozen or so more vampires in Forks and La Push. Great!" Jacob said sarcastically before dropping his head in his hands.

"Jake, there isn't always going to be the perfect options to choose from. In fact, more often than not, the decisions you'll have to make will be difficult and they will have consequences no matter what. But your pack believes in you. Despite what you say about your decisions as alpha, they respect you and look to you for leadership." Edward knew he was probably entering really-quite-pushy territory. But he knew that Jacob liked being alpha. He was just struggling with his confidence. And Edward firmly believed that bowing out just because Jacob thought he couldn't do the job well was unacceptable.

"You're right," Jacob sighed. He turned towards Edward, a fond smile on his face. "How is it you're always right?"

"Not always," Edward reminded him. At his words, he saw in Jacob's mind his own face during their separation all those months ago, looking cold and indifferent to Jacob's pleas. Edward winced. Not one of his better moments. He quickly pulled Jacob close, nuzzling into his neck.

"I love you," Jacob said quietly. Edward smiled.

"I love you, too."

* * *

Sam watched Piero watch him. Everyone had already gone home and now it was just the two of them again.

Sam was still getting used to Piero's preferred method of communication. The vampire would simply sit with him, staring into his eyes for long periods of time. Then the odd tingling in his brain would begin.

Sam had been a little freaked out by it at first.

"What are you _doing_?" he had asked, breaking eye contact and blinking rapidly so he could refocus. Rather than answer, Piero had simply taken Sam's face in his hands and re-initiated eye contact. That's when he felt it.

It was like suddenly having a thought that hadn't existed moments before and seemed to come out of nowhere. It wasn't the same as the mind link where he _heard_ anything per say. It was more like Piero was gradually planting memories and thoughts into Sam's head. It felt rather odd, like suddenly recovering from amnesia that he had never actually had. Sam found himself reminiscing about things that he'd never experienced, or feeling two very distinct ways about certain things. It took him a while to realize exactly what his Imprint was doing, but when he figured it out his heart swelled.

Piero was sharing himself with Sam.

Sam had noticed very early on that Piero wasn't very good with his words. His tone either sounded too strained and stilted, or he simply couldn't articulate what he was trying to say. So instead, he just sent pieces of himself through the Imprint to Sam's mind. A part of Sam thought it was kind of weird. But a bigger part of him found Piero's efforts to be sweet, if a little invasive. That was okay, though. Because it meant that Piero was making an effort.  
"I thought you could only influence relationships," he had said after figuring out what it was Piero was trying to do.

"Would you say that this isn't influencing our relationship?" Piero asked, eyes not leaving Sam's. Sam had to agree that it certainly was helping bridge some of their emotional gaps. He felt like he understood Piero on a deeper level now.

"Well, no. I certainly feel more and more connected to you each time we do this. It does feel a little similar to when you initiated the Imprint, but far less intense. The sensation itself is almost…pleasant."

"Good," was all Piero had said in reply before continuing with the process.

Now, Piero's face was mere inches away, and Sam felt like he was falling into those eyes. Eyes that were gradually looking more and more like the Cullens' everyday, Sam noted with delight. Piero had kept his promise about refraining from hunting humans. And although it was clear that he did not find animal blood at all appetizing, he stuck with it anyway. Sam made sure to tell him how much he appreciated it.

Sam suddenly remembered massacres of vampires. Vampire children. Immortal children, his new memories supplied. Then his mind jumped to somewhere in Russia, where large wolves were ripping humans to shreds. Sam gasped and flinched away.

"Why would you share that?" he asked, feeling a little betrayed. Piero's eyes widened in horror.

"No! That's not what I was…you're not a werewolf, Sam."

"Have you not noticed my ability to transform into a giant dog?" Sam asked sarcastically.

"No, I mean—" Piero growled in frustration at his inability to explain. "You _call_ yourselves werewolves but it's a misnomer. I've seen real werewolves. Children of the Moon, we call them. They're vicious, with no hold on their humanity. They don't organize the way that you do. They can't coherently function when in wolf form the way that you do. And they can only change with the full moon."

Sam was shocked at the information. Piero held out his hands in offering, silently asking for consent, the way he always did before starting a memory transfer with Sam. Sam was wary, but still nodded and leaned in, allowing Piero to share more. He couldn't deny that he was curious what "real" werewolves were like.

War. War between vampires and werewolves. The Volturi successfully driving them to near extinction. A werewolf in human form right after a full moon, staggering around with a dazed look in their eyes. Their evident fear and confusion when the Volturi emerged, shimmering in the early morning light, before ripping them to shreds.

Trying to enslave them with his Gift. No, not _his_ Gift. Piero's Gift. Trying and failing over and over. Having to endure Jane's torture, Aro's punishment for his failure. Watching as exhausted and terrified werewolves in human form were tortured into submission, only to go feral once more during the full moon.

Sam didn't realize he was crying until Piero was pulling from his mind and hugging him close. He wasn't just crying for the werewolves, who had no control over themselves. He was crying for Piero as well. Along with those memories came heaps of suppressed self-loathing and despair. Aro had worked him as a soldier and a tool for so long that Piero had forgotten what true emotional connection felt like. A couple thousand years old and he was just now starting to let himself truly feel again since the early years of his turning.

Piero and Sam's memory transfer sessions often ended with Sam in tears, as Piero had not had the easiest existence as a vampire. But sometimes he would share recent memories, mostly of Sam himself. And the feelings attached to those memories made Sam cry with tears of happiness rather than sadness.

Now though, Sam sobbed in anguish from the soothing comfort of his Imprint's arms. He knew that from the outsider's perspective it looked like Piero was torturing Sam's mind. But time and again, Sam allowed these sessions to happen. He sometimes even asked for them. He felt that by taking on some of these memories, Piero no longer had to carry the weight of them alone. Sam was honored to be the one to help him as he got back in touch with his more human side.

After Sam had calmed down a bit he finally asked the question, "So if we're not werewolves, what are we?" Piero was silent for a few moments as he considered Sam's words.

"I think you might be shifters. Which is basically just a word for people who turn into animals. There are different kinds of shifters. Not much is known about them though. Your abilities stem from an innate need to protect your land from vampires. It's not surprising that nature chose the form and abilities similar to those of a werewolf. They are the only other creatures in world that can destroy vampires…that we know of."

Sam snuggled closer to Piero, feeling a little exhausted from the cathartic experience that was a typical memory transfer session. "I'm glad we're not real werewolves," he murmured. Piero chuckled a bit at that.

"Me too," he replied, pressing a soft kiss to the top of Sam's head.

Sam knew this Imprint wasn't typical. It probably wasn't very healthy either, as Piero was not the soul mate that nature had intended for Sam. But, lying here in Piero's arms, he felt the familiar sense of peace and warmth. The feeling of belonging to someone, and having them belong to him. It was safe. It was home.


	25. Chapter 25

Jacob knew that they wouldn't be able to keep the truth about Bella, Alice, and Jasper's whereabouts from the rest of Edward's family. If he was being completely honest, Jacob was pretty sure they had known what was up from the very start. But this was the first time that Edward and Jacob were actually being confronted about it by the rest of the Cullens. The glower that Carlisle was leveling them with right now made Jacob feel like he was in elementary school again, sent to the principal's office for a scolding.

"I think it's brilliant," Emmett piped up after they had tentatively explained their plans. Jacob internally winced. As much as he liked Emmett, he didn't think that having him on their side would improve their chances of convincing Carlisle that it was a good plan. It probably had the opposite effect.

"I always knew Alice was a little crazy. But Bella?" Rosalie let out a low whistle, looking almost impressed. Almost. "Should have known that she'd try to stir something up as soon as she was turned."

"Why weren't we informed of the situation?" Carlisle asked, face stern. Edward didn't even flinch.

"This decision had more to do with the pack than it did with our family," he explained. "They're the ones who are truly at risk. Jacob made the right call. Now, not only do we have one of the Volturi on our side, but we are accumulating allies as well. We actually stand a pretty decent chance."

Rosalie gave him a look. "Are you completely stupid?" she deadpanned. Jacob tried not to laugh. He really truly did. He failed. Edward glared at him but he couldn't help it. Rosalie was a bitch, but she cracked him up. She was a lot like Leah. He also admired how proficient she was when it came to cars. Rosalie continued, "This isn't the first attempt to start a revolt against the Volturi. Aro will shut us down like that," she said with a snap of her fingers. However, Jacob noted her use of the word "us" rather than "you" and considered that to be a step in the right direction.

"She's right, Edward," Carlisle agreed. "The risk far outweighs the potential reward. It was clear to me from my conversation with Bella that she was not to be dissuaded. I wasn't very surprised when she left with Alice and Jasper. But the fact that you condoned this, Edward," Carlisle shook his head. Jacob could tell Edward was a little shaken up by that. He knew how much Edward looked up to Carlisle, and how much he hated disappointing him. Jacob bristled a bit, indignant on Edward's behalf.

"With all due respect, sir, you're looking at this all wrong." Jacob gathered all the alpha pride he could muster. "It was my final call that put these events into motion. And while the consequences are not ideal, I believe they are still better than the alternative. Piero has told us what Aro has planned for my pack. He means to enslave us and incorporate us into the guard. That is unacceptable and I will not allow it to happen."

Carlisle was looking at him with a strange expression. It was silent for a few moments and then he spoke again.

"I still think it's wrong to ask other vampires to fight."

"They're not being coerced," Edward said. "These are vampires who have history with the Volturi and want to get even."

"That's not much better, Edward," Carlisle sighed. "I don't like that you are resorting to violence."

"It will only be violent if the Volturi make it so," Edward said.

Carlisle looked between Jacob and Edward. And then, to Jacob's surprise, he chuckled.

"This isn't going to be easy," he said.

"Screw that! Let's kick some Volturi ass," Emmett piped up. Rosalie rolled her eyes and smacked him in the back of the head. She turned towards Jacob and Edward, seeming pensive. After a few moments she shrugged.

"Alright fine. What's the worst that can happen? We're already dead."

"That's the spirit, Rose," Emmett said. She just smacked him again.

* * *

Bella was fascinated by the Amazon coven. They were strong and tall and despite having a bit of a wild look about them, they moved with a precision and coordination through the trees that was impressive even for a vampire.

And if _Bella_ was fascinated…

"I think I'm in love," Luna sighed, staring dreamily at Zafrina.

"What makes you think we would even consider what you are asking of us?" Zafrina asked Bella, ignoring Luna completely.

"Because it's the right thing to do," Bella said. Zafrina scoffed. "And I think we might actually stand a chance. We have an ally in a member of the Volturi and an entire wolf pack on our side."

Zafrina came close, crowding Bella's personal space a bit. Bella stood still though, refusing to be intimidated.

"You are not right in the mind," Zafrina said. Bella huffed out a laugh.

"So I've heard," she said.

"There is no fight against the Volturi. There is only death."

"If this goes the way we plan then there won't be any need for a fight. The key here is intimidation, not actual strength."

"And if it does not go the way you plan?"

"Then you are free to leave."

Zafrina narrowed her eyes suspiciously at Bella, as if anticipating a trap.

"What does Carlisle think about all this? Carlisle is gentle and kind. He would not stand by such a radical and dangerous idea."

Bella and Alice shared a look. Neither of them answered.

"That is what I thought," Zafrina said. "I refuse." With that she turned away and disappeared into the trees with her coven, much to Luna's despair.

"Well...that was a spectacular waste of time," Nina said.

Alice could see the signs of Bella's incredible temper coming on.

"Bella, it's okay. We still have strong support. The success of the plan does not rest on Zafrina's willingness to help." Alice approached and wrapped her arms around Bella, comforting her while at the same time restraining her in case she did something rash like chase down Zafrina.

"Come now, Bella. All is not lost. The land of Forks shall smoke with the burned remains of the wretched Volturi," Luna said serenely, as though the taking down of the most powerful vampire coven in the world was a daily occurrence for her.

"That's a little much, Luna," Alice said. "But thank you."

Bella seemed to have calmed down, so Alice released her.

The sound of Alice's phone ringing sounded odd in the middle of the Amazonian forest.

"Jasper," she greeted.

"Please tell me you managed to convince Zafrina," he said. Bella groaned. That meant that their recruiting efforts back in the States were probably not going very well.

"She turned us down," Alice replied, eyes darting to Bella.

"How's Bella?" he asked. Rather than answer, Alice handed the phone over.

"Jaz…" Bella breathed shakily, starting to feel a little panicked and wishing Jasper was here to calm her.

"It's going to be okay, Bella," Jasper soothed. Bella had a hard time believing that. For the first time since they started this mission, she was considering the possibility that they may not survive.

"If we die—"

"Hey, we are _not_ going to die," Jasper rushed to assure her.

"But if we do—"

"Bella, we cannot afford to have that kind of mindset. Come meet us in Oregon and we'll figure this out." Bella got that peculiar vampiric feeling she experienced whenever she felt like she was going to cry, but without any actual tears. She turned to look at Alice.

"I love you," she said, addressing them both. Alice rushed forward to hold her while Jasper replied in her ear.  
"I love you too. I'll see you in Oregon."

"Be safe," she said.

"You too."

* * *

Piero watched with a distinct sense of astonishment as the Cullens and the wolf pack discussed strategy back at the Cullens' house.

"Bella's apparently discovered her Gift as a shield," Edward was saying. "Once they return, I think she should start practicing expanding and maintaining her shield. It is invaluable against the Volturi. The longer we can hold off an attack, the better."

"We cannot rely solely on Bella's potential success," Carlisle pointed out.

"As unlikely as civilized discussion is, I think addressing the Quileute laws—especially those regarding Imprinting—would help our case," Jacob said. "You've mentioned their adherence to certain aspects of law and justice. If we can explain the ways in which they are violating our laws, they might back off." Edward turned awed eyes on Jacob.

"Brilliant," he breathed, looking for all the world like he wanted nothing more than to kiss Jacob right then and there.

Piero's eyes slid over to where Sam was sitting and he pondered their own relationship. With all the stress and planning, they had little time to discuss or develop their bond. Piero's memory transfer technique could only do so much. Sam now knew plenty about Piero's past and a good bit about his present feelings. But now Piero wanted to talk about their future.

He wasn't sure how to approach the topic, though. Piero had never had any meaningful or romantic relationships. There was no room for that level of vulnerability around the Volturi. Aro had a knack for exploiting weaknesses. And that was another thing.

Aro.

Fear was not an accurate description of how Piero felt about Aro. There was fear involved, of course. But there was also resentment, and despair, and alienation. One never really _belonged_ with the Volturi. You were merely allowed to exist in exchange for loyalty and cooperation, no matter the cost. As Piero watched Sam laugh with his pack mates, Piero felt a rising sense of dread. Sam was certainly a weakness of Piero's that Aro could and would exploit, given the chance. Just the thought of what Aro already had planned for Sam made Piero tense with fury.

"Can we talk in private?" a voice asked from next to him. It was Edward.

"Sure," he replied. Of course there was no sense of privacy with so many wolves and vampires around, but the discussion in the living room would drown out anything they discussed on the front porch.

After the front door closed behind him, Edward turned to face him.

"You're worried," he said. It wasn't a question. Piero simply nodded in response. "I'm worried too," Edward admitted. "The thought of something happening to Jacob…" he shook his head, as if he could shake the very thought from his mind.

"How do you stand it?" Piero asked. "How do you stand all the fear and worry and not knowing?"

"It's not something that will go away," Edward explained. "At least not until the confrontation with Aro is over. The key is to cherish the time you are certain you have—the here and now. It's the only way to—"

Both of them froze suddenly and the chatter inside the house died down immediately. Piero sniffed the air. There were other vampires nearby.

Within seconds the Cullens and the pack were outside, the wolves having shifted and the Cullens on the defensive.

"No need to panic. We are allies," an accented voice chuckled from the trees surrounding the house. Oh no…

"Vladimir…Stefan…" Piero greeted as the two Romanian vampires emerged from the forest. It took only a moment for them to recognize him.

"Piero," Vladimir purred, taking a step closer. Piero heard Sam growl and in seconds his wolf was standing in between him and the two newcomers. Stefan chuckled at the display.

"I thought the Cullens were looking to overthrow the Volturi, not join them," he said.

"I am no longer with the Volturi," Piero replied tightly.

"Oh?" Vladimir asked. "A couple of vegetarians and some wolves decide to start a rebellion and you change sides? How convenient." Piero wanted to get angry but he could tell he was being toyed with.

"I haven't the faintest idea what you're talking about," he said. Vladimir and Stefan shared a look.

"Word of your plans are spreading," Stefan said. He attempted to come closer but was immediately deterred by the snarling wolves. Piero couldn't help but feel a little smug. He was protected.

"Plan?" Carlisle asked innocently. Stefan turned a sickening smile on him.

"Indeed. Word travels fast amongst vampires. Especially word about the Volturi."

Piero was growing weary of the posturing.

"What do you want?" he asked.

"We want to join you in your little venture," Vladimir said. "Tear down the Volturi just as they did to us."

Piero did not feel comfortable assuming the role of leader for this conversation. He looked to Carlisle, who in turn studied Vladimir and Stefan closely.

"Where has this alleged word travelled?" Carlisle asked. Vladimir leered.

"Ah, you are wondering if the Volturi are aware of your plans?" he asked. Carlisle remained silent. "I'm sure they will be learning about it soon enough. Luckily for you, only the Volturi care about their own prolonged rule. The word is mostly passing between those who either want in on the fight, or those who want to see the Volturi taken down from the sidelines. I wouldn't be surprised if you had more unexpected visitors coming to your little town."

"We are not looking to fight. We are gathering…petitioners," Carlisle said carefully.

"And what are they supposed to be petitioning for?" Stefan asked.

"Adherence to Quileute laws."  
Piero was thankful that Carlisle refused to elaborate. As much as Vladimir and Stefan despised the Volturi they were not above trying the same tactics to enslave the wolves in an effort to grow their own power.

The Romanian vampires shared a look before speaking again.

"We'll be in touch," was all Stefan said before they sprinted off into the woods.

* * *

Jasper kept a close eye on the horizon, waiting anxiously for Bella and Alice to arrive.

"They'll be here soon," Kate assured him from where she was standing next to him. Jasper huffed.

"We shouldn't have split up," he grumbled.

"It was an insurance plan, Jasper," said Patrick from behind him. "To make sure no one coven conveniently got lost on the way back."

Jasper turned away and trudged over to where Tanya was waiting with Stella, Marisol, and Lucas. It was unfortunate that they were the only two who had agreed to join them. It would have been useful to have Benjamin's huge coven with them. And Jasper would have appreciated the presence of some more vegetarians. But they would make do with what they had.

Silence took over as an unfamiliar scent came in on the wind. No, it wasn't unfamiliar…just forgotten. It was—

"Peter," Jasper breathed as he spotted the couple in the distance. The left figure waved in greeting before drawing close.

He had met Peter and Charlotte during the vampire wars, and later he and Alice had travelled with them until they found the Cullens. It had been ages since he had last seen them.

"Jasper!" Peter called out jovially as he came up on their group.

"Peter. Charlotte," he greeted. Charlotte simply nodded in acknowledgement. She never did like him very much. "What are you two doing here? I thought you were somewhere in New England."

"We were," Peter replied. "But then we heard something about you and an army and the Volturi and couldn't stay away."

"I think it's idiotic," Charlotte piped up, though she was smirking slightly.

"Nevertheless," Peter said, "We would like to help in any way we can."

Jasper looked between the two of them, trying to get a read on their emotions. He couldn't feel anything but determination and excitement from them.

"You're serious," he said.

"Absolutely," Peter replied. Jasper grinned.

"Fantastic."

"Jasper!" a familiar voice called in the distance. _Bella._ Within seconds she and Alice were surrounding him, clutching him close.

"Thank god I don't have to kick your ass," Bella breathed as she nuzzled his neck. Jasper chuckled.

"I'm glad you're safe too, love," he murmured into her hair.

"Peter. Charlotte," Alice addressed the newcomers. She did not seem at all surprised to see them there.

"Hello Alice," Charlotte greeted.

"Glad to see some new faces!" Eleazer crowed as the rest of the group arrived.

"We need to lay out some ground rules before we cross the state line," Jasper said. "No hunting in the Forks or La Push area. You are free to hunt near Lake Ozette up north or in Olympic National Park. I don't think I need to tell you to remain discreet."

There were nods of agreement all around.

"Alright," Jasper said, turning to Alice and Bella. "Let's go home."


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N: So sorry that this has taken forever. School has been keeping me incredibly busy. But now I'm on Spring Break so _voila_! Here is the next chapter of Brokeback Twilight! Enjoy!**

If Jacob was being honest, he was pretty uncomfortable with the fact that the visiting vampires were so dangerously close to outnumbering the pack and the Cullens. He kept reminding himself that they were on the same side, but it was hard not to feel queasy every time he looked into another pair of blood-red eyes.

The newcomers were having a similar effect on the rest of the pack. Everyone seemed on edge, except for Seth of course, who seemed determined to like everybody. Leah, on the other hand, had taken one look around and promptly left for La Push. He found that odd, since even Paul was making an effort to get along with their new allies.

A few days after Bella had returned with vampire army in tow, Jacob was watching as she worked with Kate, Tanya, and Luna—crazy, that one—to strengthen and expand her shield. He was glad to see that she was at least making progress, as minimal as it seemed to be. Piero was watching her too, with an odd and calculating look in his eyes. After yet another failed attempt to shield Luna from Kate's psychic pulse, Piero stood and walked over to her. Jacob noticed how she leaned slightly away from him as he approached. Bella had been gone during Piero's transition from Volturi enemy to Imprinted ally and she still wasn't used to him so casually hanging about. Jacob watched curiously as Piero made a placating gesture with his hands before leaning in and whispering something in her ear—Jacob couldn't hear what he said for all the chatter going on around him. As she listened, Bella's eyes hardened and when Piero pulled away she gave a determined nod.

The next time that Kate tried to send Luna one of her psychic pulses, nothing happened.

"I did it!" Bella cried out. She turned to Piero. "Thank you. That was brilliant!" Piero smiled shyly.

"It's the least I could do," he said before turning and rejoining Sam and Jacob on the couch.

"What did you tell her?" Sam asked. Jacob had to admit he was curious as well.

"Despite Kate's best efforts, Bella was still looking at her as an ally to simply practice with. I simply described the enemy in greater detail for her. I told her what Aro would try to do to her family, and that he would be successful if she didn't manage to raise a strong enough shield."

The three of them watched as Bella managed to expand her shield to include both Luna and Tanya.

"Wow. Quite effective," Jacob observed. He looked over at Sam and Piero, who were doing that thing they often did where they just stared into each other's eyes for prolonged periods of time. Feeling uncomfortable being so close to such an intimate moment, Jacob stood from the couch and went in search of Edward.

He found him outside conversing with Carlisle and Eleazer.

"I know you want to keep things non-violent, Carlisle. And I am all for a peaceful outcome. But we can't be unprepared in case the Volturi _do_ stage an attack," Eleazer was saying. Jacob sighed as he approached. This had been an ongoing discussion since Bella had arrived with her army a few days ago.

"If they get even the slightest hint that we are prepared to fight then an attack will be inevitable," Carlisle replied.

"Can I talk to you?" Jacob murmured to Edward, not wanting to interrupt. Edward nodded and they walked off together. "I'm worried about Leah," Jacob explained, getting right to it. One didn't beat around the bush with a mind reader for an Imprint.

"I'm sure she's fine," Edward muttered in response, avoiding Jacob's gaze.

Jacob sorely wished _he_ were the mind reader now, as Edward was clearly evading once more. Just like he had every other time Jacob had tried to have this conversation over the last few days since Leah had retreated back to La Push with no apparent intention of returning.

"If she was fine, she'd be here instead of sulking on the reservation. She hasn't even shifted since she left and every time I go find her to ask her what's wrong she just tells me to piss off. I know you know something Edward. Tell me."

"It's not my place to say," he said.

"She's my second-in-command, Edward. I can't have her absent for this," he gestured to the house that was packed with wolves and vampires. "Is it at least something I can help her with?"

Edward frowned.

"It's more complicated than that," he said tightly.

"What could be so complicated that she would stay in La Push rather than be here? Doesn't she know how much of a crucial time—" Jacob stopped, getting the sick feeling that he was starting to catch on. "Of course she knows how crucial it is. So the only thing that would get in her way of being here is something even _more_ important….oh no." Jacob buried his face in his hands.

"Who is it?" he mumbled into his fingers, not really wanting the answer but knowing that as alpha he _needed_ to know. Edward was silent for a few seconds and then…

"Luna. She Imprinted on Luna."

* * *

Jasper had thought that Peter was just exaggerating when he said that word of their plan was spreading.

He was so wrong.

New visitors were coming on a daily basis, offering up their services. Jasper was dumbfounded. He thought vampires had a stronger sense of self-preservation than this. Apparently their desire for revenge overrode that particular instinct.

He wouldn't have felt so overwhelmed if there had been more vegetarians. But aside from Tanya and Kate's sister, Carmen—who had cut her trip in New Zealand short to come help—everyone else who had come to offer their help had red eyes and no desire to change that, even temporarily.

He was just considering turning away a Welsh coven of five when he was abruptly pulled aside by Bella.

"Hey there," she murmured in his ear, pressing up against his chest and running a finger over his collarbone. Jasper tried not to grin as he rested his hands lightly on her hips.

"You really want to do this now?" he asked, gesturing vaguely to the gaggle of vampires from Wales.

"I just successfully expanded my shield and I haven't had the two of you all to myself in days. I think I deserve a bit of a reward." Bella ran her finger down the center of his chest, stopping right above the button of his pants. Jasper growled lowly and abruptly pulled her closer. Bella grinned at his response.

"Alice is already upstairs…naked…and waiting for us," she whispered against his lips. With a wink Bella pulled away before walking up towards the house, swaying her hips in a motion that had Jasper hypnotized.

Right.

"Emmett!" he called across the yard, gesturing for his brother to come over.

"What's up Jaz?" Emmett asked, giving a welcoming smile to the Welsh coven.

"This is Willow, Darcie, Phoebe, Isaac, and Finley. From Wales. Want to help. Get them settled in." Jasper said it all in a rush, totally forgetting that he had originally intended to turn them away, before darting off to follow Bella upstairs.

"Get it, bro!" Emmett called after him, laughing. Jasper rolled his eyes and ignored him.

When he opened the bedroom door, the sight that awaited him made his usually sharp mind stutter to a stop.

Alice was indeed naked, and Bella was well on her way there as well. Straddled across Alice's hips with her back to the door, Bella looked coyly over her shoulder at Jasper as she dropped her brassiere to the floor beside her.

"Are you going to just stand there or are you going to join us?" Alice asked sweetly, hands on Bella's hips. Jasper wasted no time in kneeling between Alice's legs with his chest pressed up against Bella's back. He rested his chin on her shoulder and took in the miraculous image before him.

"You two are the most beautiful creatures I have ever seen," he murmured against the skin of Bella's shoulder. She turned her head to give him a quick kiss on the lips before leaning over to give Alice a much more enthusiastic kiss. The change in position forced her to grind back against Jasper's groin and he very nearly lost it right there, before remembering the rather large group of people downstairs.

"You're going to have to be quiet, Al," he said.

Alice had a tendency to forget herself and "accidentally" broadcast their activities with rather loud whines, moans, and pleas for more. Sometimes he suspected it wasn't so accidental. If what the three of them were doing now was any indication, Bella and Alice seemed to rather enjoy semi-public sex.

"Of course. Quiet. Right," Alice muttered, nodding distractedly as Bella's hands ran up and down her torso.

Jasper decided to improve the view by removing Bella's shorts. By ripping them directly off her body.

She wasn't wearing any underwear.

He was a goner.

Jasper leaned down so his chest was once again pressed up against Bella's back. He pressed a kiss that was more of a bite on her shoulder as he stared down at Alice's face. She smiled up at him, looking a little dazed. Bella followed his example and bit down where Alice's throat met her shoulder.

There was no way that everyone downstairs didn't hear that moan.

* * *

Leah was quite sick of Imprinting. It had taken her boyfriend away from her, and in the process she lost her cousin and best friend.

And now the stupid wolfy magic was trying to draw her in too. She wouldn't have it. She refused. This could only end badly. Leah looked up from where she was sitting to glare at the battered speed bag hanging from the ceiling of her garage. Pushing herself to her feet, she prepared herself for another bout.

She had known right away that her Imprint on the vampire was not a romantic bond like Jacob and Edward's. If she was being completely honest, it felt like a much stronger version of the kind of closeness and connection she had with Emily before Sam Imprinted on her.

She could admit that the absence of another woman to talk to had affected her behavior and attitude pretty dramatically. Even though she knew the pack respected her no matter what, she couldn't help but feel like she had to be strong and stoic in order to work with the guys. They had heard her insecurities through her head and assured her that she could talk about "girly feelings and shit"—as Paul had so eloquently called it—with them if she needed to. Jacob had certainly done enough whining for all of them when he had been having issues with Edward. But it wasn't the same as it had been when she had Emily to talk to. As much as she loved the pack, the guys just didn't _get_ it.

But how was she supposed to have any better luck with a vampire? Leah picked up the speed of her punches. And why were the wolves Imprinting on vampires now? They were _enemies_.

Except they weren't exactly enemies these days. Not really. Even if they did still reek a bit.

"You're very strong," an airy voice spoke from behind her. Leah whipped around, arms raised and ready for combat. It was the vampire. How the hell had she managed to sneak up on her? Leah felt the itch to phase but ignored it.

"What do you want?" she asked coldly. She was going to murder Edward. And Jacob, too. This had his nosiness written all over it.

"I want to help," the vampire replied, smiling sweetly.

"I don't need help," Leah huffed, turning back to the speed bag.

"I think you're being quite selfish, Leah," the vampire said softly. Leah's fists froze in midair. She turned back around, incredulous.

"Excuse me?"

The vampire didn't back down from her glare. "Your family is about to take on the most powerful vampire coven in the world. And instead of staying to help you ran home in fear." She stepped closer to Leah. "I think there are things in this world much more frightening than intimacy," she murmured. Leah gaped at her, in shock. Who the hell _was_ this chick? She scrambled for an adequately biting response, ignoring the pang in her chest that she knew was a result of her hostile behavior towards her "Imprint".

"You smell terrible," Leah said. Well, that wasn't necessarily true. If she was being completely honest with herself, the vampire smelled like cupcakes. A lot like the ones that Emily used to bake for her birthday. Leah growled darkly at that thought.

"Why don't you want to be my friend, Leah?" the vampire asked with a soft smile, ignoring Leah's pathetic attempt at an insult.

"I make it a point not to befriend vampires," she said. That wasn't necessarily true either. The vampire gave her a knowing look before stepping closer.

"My name is Luna, and I'd like to be your friend," she said, sticking out a hand. Leah stared at it, not making any move to take it. "It's okay," Luna said. "I won't hurt you."

Leah sneered at that. "You _can't_ hurt me," she said, confident in her ability to take on the wisp of a girl standing before her. Luna laughed.

"I didn't mean physically, Leah," she replied softly.

This wasn't fair. Leah missed Emily terribly. Had been missing her long before her murder. But that didn't mean that she wanted a replacement for her. No one could replace Emily. Leah internally cursed as she felt the sting of tears behind her eyes.

"It's okay to cry," Luna said, stepping closer.

"I'm not _crying_ ," Leah snapped, even as she felt the tears brimming. Luna came into her personal space and pulled her close for a hug.

The dam broke.

Leah let out a choked sob as she held Luna close. Even as all the pain and loneliness bubbled to the surface to overflow, she could feel the Imprint there too. It was like a balm, numbing the harsh bite of misery she had kept bottled up for so long.

"You're so strong, Leah," Luna murmured quietly. "And this doesn't change that. It only makes you stronger."

* * *

Jacob let out an angry growl as he tackled Edward to the ground.

" _Mine,_ " he snarled, pinning Edward's hands down on either side of his head and situating himself between Edward's legs.

"Yours," Edward agreed as he eagerly pushed up against Jacob.

" _Only_ mine," Jacob added, making sure to rub his scent all over Edward's body.

"Of course," Edward nodded absentmindedly, distracted by how much he wanted another kiss. He wrapped his legs around Jacob's waist and attempted to capture his lips once more. Jacob didn't disappoint. The kiss was rough and biting and absolutely _lovely_. But apparently Jacob didn't want to let the issue lie. Edward whimpered in protest when Jacob pulled back.

"I don't want that fucker staying with us. He can go back to hell or wherever it is he came from." Jacob's grip on Edward's wrists tightened possessively.

"Wales. He's from Wales. He was just trying to rile you up, Jake," Edward said in a placating tone. Although wasn't totally true. Edward had heard the rather inappropriate thoughts that Isaac had running through his mind during his advances on Edward. Edward knew that Jacob wasn't actually insecure about their bond. But he could understand the freak-out Jacob had when Isaac had attempted to touch Edward. He imagined he would probably have a similar reaction if someone tried to touch Jacob like that.

Edward was pulled from his thoughts by the feeling of Jacob rutting against him brutally. Edward let out an appreciative moan at the rough pressure on his groin. It was glorious. He never wanted this to end.

"Marry me," he whispered without thinking. All motion ceased.

"What?" Jacob asked, coming back to himself a bit. Edward hadn't intended to ask that, at least not here and now. He had attempted to propose before but they had been interrupted and he had just decided that it would be safer to wait until the issue of the Volturi was gone from their minds. Well, that plan was now out the window.

"Marry me, Jake," Edward repeated, locking eyes with his wolf. He could hear the jumble of thoughts going through Jacob's head in reaction to his proposal.

"Why?" he asked, seemingly bewildered. "We're already Imprinted."

"Call me old-fashioned, I guess," Edward said with a shrug. "Sam and Emily were engaged weren't they?"

"I can't wear a ring. It would break whenever I phase," Jacob said. Edward smiled fondly.

"I couldn't care less about the ring, Jake. I would simply be honored to call you my husband." He leaned up for a kiss, amused at the stunned expression on Jacob's face.

"Does it have to be a big wedding?" Jacob asked, once again deflecting. Edward wasn't bothered by it. He knew by now how Jacob's mind worked. He needed as much data as possible before making a decision like this.

"Not if you don't want it to be. We could run off to the courthouse right now and do it without telling a soul." Alice would be furious when she found out they got married without a wedding and would most likely plan a ceremony anyway. But that didn't mean Edward and Jacob had to attend it.

"I'm not even eighteen yet, Edward," Jacob mumbled. He never did like to be reminded of his young age.

"Mm yes, but with the body of a twenty-five year old," Edward replied. He freed his hands from Jacob's hold and reached up to grab at his neck, pulling him down for a searing kiss. "I don't need an answer now," he spoke against Jacob's lips, refusing to break the kiss. "But I can tell you what I _do_ need right now." He thrust his hips up to grind against Jacob's groin. Jacob let out a low groan, tempted to give in and just strip Edward naked. But he had something he wanted to say.

"Okay," he gasped out. "I'll marry you." Now that the words were out Jacob could fall into the mind-blowing pleasure that was sex with Edward.

"Really?"

" _Yes_ really, now can we please get on with the nudity?" Jacob didn't wait for an answer, and started hastily undoing the buttons of Edward's stupid dress shirt. "I don't get why you wear such fancy clothes," he grumbled as his fingers fumbled a bit.

"It's to make up for your own lack of clothing, love," Edward laughed, running his hands over Jacob's bare torso. Jacob let out a growl and abruptly ripped the shirt open without undoing the last of the buttons. Edward could always buy a new shirt. Jacob let out a low moan at the sight of pale skin and lean muscle.

"You're so goddamn beautiful," he murmured, leaning down to bite at Edward's collarbone. Edward cried out and thrust up harder.

Both boys froze as the sound of another cry sounded out at the same time, followed by a slew of snarls and yelps. Within moments they were on their feet. Jacob shifted quickly.

 _'What? Oh god what is this? What's happening? Please let this be a nightmare!'_

Jacob turned wide eyes on Edward.

"Sounds like you have a new pack mate," Edward said.

 _'You're okay. Everything is going to be okay,'_ Jacob tried to calm the new wolf.

 _'Who's that?! Oh I'm going crazy. Oh no no no.'_

 _'You're not going crazy,'_ Jacob soothed. _'You have shifted. It's going to take some getting used to but you're going to be okay.'_

 _'Who are you?!'_ the newcomer was getting hysterical.

 _'Jacob Black. I'm from La Push and I'm just like you.'_

 _'Jake?!'_

Okay so obviously the newcomer knew him by name. That wasn't too surprising. The Quileutes were not a large community. And the voice did sound a little familiar. But that wasn't possible. He was far to young to already be shifting…

 _'…Collin?'_

 _'Yes?!'_

Okay so not just familiar. Family. His younger cousin, to be exact.

"We need to find him," Edward said. Jacob nodded.

 _'We're coming to find you Collin. Stay put.'_

"Well, this is an interesting turn of events," Edward remarked as they took off looking for Collin's wolf. Jacob shook his head. He knew exactly what was happening. And he felt incredibly stupid for not realizing it would happen once Bella returned.

There were more vampires in Forks, and nature was responding.

The pack was growing.

* * *

This was bad.

This was really, _really_ bad.

Within a week no less than four other Quileute kids had shifted for the first time.

Jacob had thought that _he_ had a rough time when he had first shifted at sixteen years old. He couldn't imagine the biological and hormonal nightmare that would accompany shifting at thirteen or fourteen.  
Emmett had tried to convince him that this was a good thing; that they had more back up when they finally had to face the Volturi. But all Jacob could see in his mind's eye was a small wolf form crumpled and broken at the hands of a couple of thousand-year-old vampires.

As their alpha, Jacob's heart broke for them.

To add to the pile of worry and fear, a few of the pack mates had started Imprinting on vampires in rapid succession. Apparently it didn't end with Leah and Luna.

Paul had nearly had an aneurism when he realized he had Imprinted on Willow. His tantrums were well known but this one had been legendary. Willow had stayed quiet and still as Paul railed against her, accusing her of witchcraft and sounding like a complete and total loon. After he exhausted himself, Willow had simply grabbed him by the waistband of his jeans and dragged him off into the woods. They had yet to make a reappearance. Jacob wasn't too worried.

Seth and Lucas' Imprinting was platonic like Leah and Luna's, but in a completely different way. Whereas it seemed that Luna was a kind of soothing agent for Leah, Seth and Lucas seemed to have synced up their brains. Within hours of the Imprint they were finishing each other's sentences, communicating with each other via minor changes in their facial expressions, and even moving in tandem as if there were strings attaching the two of them together.

Jacob felt like the pack was spiraling out of control. And it wasn't until he called a pack meeting that he realized that Luna, Willow, and Lucas had joined the pack of their own volition. Edward worked as a translator for the vampires, informing them of Jacob's orders and strategies. And just when Jacob felt like he was finally getting the hang of having so many vampires in his pack, Alice dropped the psychic bomb. The Volturi would be arriving in two weeks time.

Needless to say, Jacob was stressed. Between getting engaged, witnessing his pack Imprint all over the place (on _vampires_ no less…although Jacob was not one to talk), welcoming young new wolves into the fold every other day, and preparing for the Volturi's arrival, he felt like he was on the verge of a breakdown.

So when, after a long day of patrolling and formation training, Edward muttered something about _stress relief_ before dropping to his knees and swallowing Jacob's length down his throat, all Jacob could do in response was groan and struggle to stay upright. He came quickly after only a few minutes inside of that wonderful, talented mouth. His knees buckled and he fell to the ground, spreading out on his back and trying to catch his breath. But Edward refused to stop there. He crawled over Jacob's prone form and pressed a bruising kiss to his lips before pulling away.

"Get hard for me, Jake," he murmured and Jacob let out a gasp as his body immediately obeyed. He was so incredibly sensitive but that didn't stop Edward from sinking back down and starting the process all over again.

"E-Edward…please….I c-can't… _oh!_ "

"You can baby, I know you can." Edward spoke so sweetly but Jacob heard the predatory tone underneath his words. He was holding Jacob captive with his tongue and his orders, and despite the overstimulation Jacob could do nothing more than surrender to the sensations. And when a cool finger pressed up against his lips, accompanied by the command to _suck_ , Jacob rushed to obey. His mind was half gone by the time Edward's fingers were circling his entrance, and when that marvelous pressure finally breeched and immediately started pressing insistently against his prostate, he keened and thrust up into Edward's mouth. The resulting groan from Edward sent vibrations all throughout his body and Jacob's eyes rolled up as he came a second time, moaning in a combination of both pleasure and pain.

"Mm, one more time baby. Get hard for me," Edward ordered and Jacob let out a pained sob as his cock filled with blood once more. It was agonizing. Edward's fingers were still inside of him, rubbing circles against his prostate and Jacob wanted to cry. He didn't think his cock could take any more stimulation. Edward seemed to sense this so instead of wrapping his lips around Jacob's erection once more, Edward simply said those horrible, wonderful, _excruciating_ words.

"Come for me, love."

Now Jacob did cry, tears streaming down his face as he clenched down hard on Edward's finger and came with a shout.

"Please no more…Edward please…no more…" he whimpered, trying to pull away from Edward's cruel fingers.

"Hey, shh. You're okay. I've got you." Edward gathered Jacob up in his arms and held him close, running fingers through his hair and murmuring sweet words. Jacob continued to cry as he clung tightly to Edward, and within minutes he fell into an exhausted sleep.


	27. Chapter 27

"Do you think we're going to die?" Bella asked, voice oddly calm.

Jacob pondered the question.

The two of them were lying out on the grass outside the Cullens' house; heads close together and bodies sprawled in opposite directions as they stared up at the cloudy grey sky.

"It's certainly a possibility," he replied. Jacob refused to trick himself into thinking that there was a chance they wouldn't die when it came time to face the Volturi, no matter how adamantly Edward and Jasper contested otherwise. Jacob and Bella were realists.

"Alice says their numbers severely overwhelm ours."

"I'm not surprised," Jacob snorted. Of course this couldn't be easy for them. "The closer we get to the inevitable confrontation, the more ridiculous I find our plan to be. Why did I ever think they would bother adhering to Quileute laws?"

"It wasn't a bad idea," Bella reassured him. "They're obsessed with law and order."

"Yeah, _their_ law and order." Jacob scoffed.

"Too right," Bella agreed. "But you and the pack represent a formidable force. And with all the opposition we've managed to gather to help us, I think the union of vampires and shifters will make a significant impact."

"If you say so," he mumbled, still not wholly convinced.

"Are you and Edward going to get married before the Volturi arrive?" Jacob was grateful for the change in topic.

"I'm not sure." Jacob didn't know which would be more difficult—losing Edward, his fiancé, before they had the chance to get married; or losing Edward, his husband, after. Both seemed like equally painful outcomes.

"Alice is going to lose it if she finds out you guys got married without telling her." Bella sounded amused at the thought of the tantrum her tiny girlfriend would throw after being denied the chance to plan a wedding.

"What about you? Are the three of you going to get married?"

"I'm not sure. I mean, technically Jaz and Alice are already married. I'm not exactly sure how polygamy works or if we'd even be able to do it."

"I'm pretty sure you have to go to Utah for that, Bells," Jacob laughed. She swatted his head.

"Hush you," she chuckled. They enjoyed the silence of each other's company for a few minutes before Bella spoke up again.

"I never apologized, Jake," she said quietly. "For all the grief I caused you and Edward after you Imprinted. I'm sorry, you know. I was acting crazy."

Jacob turned to look at her, somewhat surprised. That whole mess felt like a lifetime ago.

"Apology accepted, Bells," he grinned. "I forgive you for your temporary insanity. Everything worked out in the end and now we can both revel in the brilliance of our totally awesome significant others. "

Bella laughed. "Damn right."

"Are you two going to be lazy all day?" Emmett called from the back porch. "We kind of have some work to do."

Jacob groaned. "Do we have to go back?"

"Come on now, Mister Alpha," Bella teased. "Your pack needs you." Jacob flicked her forehead.

Inside the house, Leah and Paul were in the middle of a heated argument over whether or not the younger wolves should be allowed to join them in facing the Volturi or if they should stay behind and keep an eye on the Rez.

"They'd be a valuable asset and would make our numbers more intimidating!" Paul shouted, waving his hands around as if the large movements would make his argument more valid.

"They can't be valuable assets if they're _dead_ , meathead," Leah replied angrily, getting up in his face. Willow and Luna rolled their eyes at each other from where they were standing next to their respective wolves.

"No one is going to die," Jasper cut in. Jacob looked to Bella and it was their turn to roll their eyes. Jacob still couldn't figure out if Jasper was being so optimistic because he was just stubborn or if he actually believed that they could all walk away from this thing alive.

"Oh I'm _sorry_ Mr. Omniscient," Leah drawled, turning her fury on Jasper. "Can you see the future now? Oh wait, that's right. The only person who _can_ see the future can't even See if we're going to succeed or not."

Alice bristled from where she was standing back from the argument. But before she could say anything Bella was up in Leah's face, expression hostile.

"Watch it," Bella growled.

"What are _you_ going to do about, leech?" Leah sneered at her.

"Hey!" Jacob called out, drawing attention. "Enough. I know tensions are high and everyone is feeling anxious about this but we can't break up our own ranks. If we're going to have half a chance of surviving this we need to stay united." He leveled Leah with a glare. She huffed and looked away, crossing her arms. Luna came up behind her and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. Jacob watched Leah slowly deflate under her Imprint's touch. Luna's arrival to Forks hadn't come a moment too soon.

He turned towards the rest of the room.

"The newer wolves will be staying on the Rez." Paul looked like he was going to argue but Jacob ignored him and kept talking. "We can't have La Push so open and vulnerable with an entire army of hostile vampires so close by. Calling them into battle will be our last _last_ resort." This was another one of those decisions where neither option was particularly favorable. If he had his way the younger pack members would never have shifted in the first place. But Jacob was confident with his choice. He had to be.

* * *

Later that night, when it was just Jacob and Edward sprawled out on Jacob's bed, Jacob couldn't stop his mind from picturing the complete and total blood bath that he imagined this stand off was going to turn into. Piero's information, while helpful, was also incredibly daunting. The one he was most concerned about was Jane, who apparently could inflict excruciating pain just by looking at you. Jacob didn't want to put pressure on Bella by relying too heavily on her Shield but it seemed like that would be the only thing that would protect them from Jane's Gift.

"Stop it," Edward spoke up from where he was laying next to Jacob. "Jane's Gift is powerful but she can only use it on one person at a time."

"What about Alec? With the sensory deprivation? Honestly Edward it's like Bella, Leah, and I are the only ones who see this thing for what it is."

"Hey." Edward's voice was soft as he tugged at Jacob's shoulder, turning him on his side so he could face him. Jacob let himself get lost in those eyes and for a few moments there was no Volturi, no Jane, no Alec, no impending fucking doom. Just Edward.

"I want to get married before they get here," Jacob said quietly. Those beautiful eyes widened in surprise.

"Yeah?"

Jacob smiled and leaned forward to press a chaste kiss to Edward's lips. "Yeah."

 _Brrrrrrrr!_

Edward groaned and reached towards the nightstand for his phone. He laughed when he saw the called I.D. "Alice," he muttered, shaking his head fondly before he answered the call.

"I See myself planning a wedding, Edward," she chirped excitedly.

"Gee, I can't imagine why, Al." Edward looked to Jacob with questioning eyes. Jacob shrugged.

"Sure. Let her go nuts. As long as none of it interferes with planning for the Volturi."

"Yes!" Alice crowed. "I already know what color scheme to use! What's my deadline?"

Jacob thought about it for a moment. He wanted to enjoy being married to Edward for at least a few days before they walked off to their doom. "One week from now," he decided. Then, in a quieter voice he muttered, "At least with that kind of deadline she can't plan anything too crazy."

"I heard that, Jacob Black!"

* * *

Piero was surprised that Vladimir and Stefan had not made any attempts to get back into contact now that Bella's army had arrived. He was not so foolish as to think that they had abandoned their plans so easily. Their investment in the downfall of the Volturi was unrivaled.

He did not have much time to think on it, though. Livid vampires from all over the world who had come to join Bella's "army" were regularly bombarding him with their grievances against the Volturi.

Rafaela and Petros from Greece demanded that he answer for the execution of their little sister, Vera. Apparently the Volturi had claimed that Vera was an immortal child, even though she had been older than Jane when she was turned. According to Rafaela and Petros, Aro had quietly sent a handful of assassins to Greece to destroy her because she had refused to join him and the Volturi. Aro had been after her Gift of telekinesis.

"She was so powerful," Petros said, "and Aro was simply throwing a tantrum because she had denied him control of that power."

Marguerite, Etienne, and Auguste from France had originally had a coven even larger than the Cullens' before Aro sicced his small collection of barely tamed werewolves on them. Piero remembered that night with painful clarity. He had been directly involved. Aro had feared the coven's size and power as much as he did the Cullens'.

Rather than bristle at the accusations leveled against him, Piero was filled with a deep sense of shame. He had played a part in the destruction of so many lives: vampires, werewolves, humans. He had been swept up in the greed for power and the reach for control. And now he had to look into the eyes of his victims' families.

Sam caught on to his rising level of self-loathing and confronted him about it.

"Cut it out," Sam said, nudging Piero's shoulder as he joined him on Sam's front porch. It was still mostly destroyed but Sam had made no move to start repairing. He was considering moving houses anyway. "I know brooding is one of your favorite pastimes but I can't stand to see you like this."

Piero turned towards his wolf, yet another victim of his foolish loyalty to Aro.

"I'm so sorry, Sam," he said quietly.

"Stop it," Sam persisted. But Piero just couldn't let it go.

"I destroyed your family and bastardized the sanctity of the Imprint. How can you even stand to be around me?" Piero's mind was racing now. Maybe it would be better if the Volturi destroyed him when they came to Forks. Maybe then he wouldn't have to feel this unbearable gnawing in his chest. Maybe he should just—

The kiss caught him by surprise. Sam's lips were pressing against his own, gently, tenderly.

Up until this point Piero and Sam hadn't gotten very physical with one another, never going any farther than just holding each other for prolonged periods of time. Piero refused to initiate anything and instead let Sam determine the flow and pace of their relationship.

But the feeling of his wolf's lips on his own made something inside Piero break. He tugged Sam close until their bodies were pressed flush against each other. Sam let out a small gasp before moaning softly. Piero felt warm arms come up to circle his neck and he fell into the sensations. Being kissed by Sam felt like a baptism of sorts. In those sweet moments Piero's past sins didn't exist. Nothing existed. Nothing except this warm, compassionate, brilliant man in his arms.

The kiss broke but Sam didn't pull back very far. He rested his forehead against Piero's as he caught his breath.

"I've been wanting to do that for a while now," he murmured softly.

"Me too," Piero replied, voice just as quiet.

"I don't want you focusing on the things you did back then. You can't change them. Turn your energy and attention towards the present and the future. Bury those old memories with newer, better ones." Sam pressed another quick kiss to Piero's lips. The words were sweet, but Piero still had his doubts.

"It's just…every time I think about how happy I am to be with you, I think about how I got you in the first place and I just—"

"Hey, shh. No more of that. Look at me."

Piero obeyed, and he drew strength from the affection he saw in Sam's eyes.

"I forgive you, Piero."

It was like the ground beneath him fell away. They were the words he had been waiting to hear and he had no idea until right now.

"You said…before you said you'd never…"

"I know what I said then. But things change. We've changed. We've changed _so much_ , and I forgive you."

Piero was speechless. So instead of trying to speak, he simply leaned in and kissed those lips again, tightening his hold around Sam. He let the words of Sam's absolution swim through his mind, and with the _thump-thump_ of Sam's heart beating against his chest Piero finally felt right.


	28. Chapter 28

Despite any reservations that Jacob had originally had about Alice planning their wedding, he should have known that she would make it perfect.

When the day of the wedding came, he had no idea what to expect, and was surprised when Sam, Quil, and Embry came over in the afternoon to bring him to the mysterious venue location. He was even more surprised when that location turned out to be the beach.

"Are the rest of the Cullens not coming?" he asked Sam, only getting a brief glance at the chairs set up in the distance before he was ushered over to a rather large white tent where he was to get ready and wait until the ceremony started. Sam smiled.

"Oh they're coming alright. I managed to convince the council elders that your Imprint's 'family' should be here for this. The treaty has been temporarily suspended for the day." Jacob was impressed. The elders couldn't be very happy about that.

"What about the army?" he asked. He couldn't imagine that Bella's guests would very much enjoy sitting around and waiting for them to get back from a wedding that they were very pointedly not invited to.

"They went to hunt," Sam grimaced, he clearly did not approve of the vampires being allowed to hunt humans. Jacob could understand, and he tried not to think about the people who would be drained dry and dead by morning. This was supposed to be a happy day. "They've all been invited to the reception, though." Jacob tried not to think about that as well. He was not too fond of parties.

Jacob had no idea where Edward was. He had last seen him the night before when Edward had taken off to go for a hunt with his brothers. Jacob thought it was an apt "bachelor party" for a vampire. He had the full intention of staying in for the night and getting some sleep, until Paul had barged into his room and bodily carried him out the house.

"No way you're getting out of having a bachelor party, dude," Paul had said when Jacob protested.

The sight that had greeted him outside made Jacob groan. The entire pack, sans Seth and the other younger kids, was there, and Sam had a cardboard box clutched in his arms that _clinked_ whenever he moved. Jacob had a pretty good idea what was inside it.

"We're seriously going to get drunk for my bachelor party?" he teased.

"Cliff diving too," Embry piped up. Jacob turned disbelieving eyes on Sam, the so-called adult of the group.

"We're drinking…and going cliff-diving…at night?" he couldn't believe Sam had approved this idea.

"Gotta have one more night of being young and stupid before you settle down, Jakey!" Sam crowed, gently shaking the box for emphasis.

" _Fine_ ," Jacob sighed, feigning disdain when really he was looking forward to shucking responsibility for one night. "Lead the way then."

Luckily Jacob had woken up _not_ hung-over, and he thanked his wolfy ancestors for the gift of a fast metabolism. He had been told to wait at his house for further instruction. Jacob thought it was kind of funny that he was about to attend his own wedding and had no idea what to expect. The only thing he could discern was that it would be a night wedding, considering how late in the day it had been when he was finally collected from his house.

Embry ambled into the tent where Jacob was waiting, carrying a bundle of clothes.

"Alice's orders," he chuckled, dutifully handing over the clothing. Jacob took the time to appreciate Alice's forethought, and was relieved to see that he wouldn't be stuffed into a tux or suit. Multiple layers of clothing just did not fly when one was a Quileute wolf. Instead, Alice had picked out a pair of light tan linen pants and a white linen button up shirt.

"She says you're allowed to roll the sleeves, but you have to actually button up the front," Embry grinned as Jacob changed into the clothes, obviously amused that someone as tiny as Alice was bossing around the big bad alpha of La Push's wolf pack. Jacob made a face and left the top two buttons of the shirt open out of spite.

"No shoes?" Jacob asked, eyebrow cocked. Embry gave him an incredulous look.

"It's a _beach_ wedding, dude. Get with the program." Jacob huffed in annoyance, though he was grateful that he was allowed to go barefoot.

"Where's Edward?" he asked the one question that had been rolling around in his head since he had woken up this morning.

"Ah ah ah," Embry wagged a finger at him, "That would be telling. Which I am under strict instructions _not_ to do." Jacob stared at him.

"You're having way too much fun with this," he said. Embry just laughed.

"I _will_ tell you that Bella is part of the group getting Edward ready. She's expanding her Shield so Edward can't read everyone's thoughts and figure out what the plan is. He's just as in the dark about it as you." Jacob huffed.

"Do I at least get to know how long I have to sit here and wait?"

"Shouldn't be more than an hour," Embry said. "Alice started setting up at the crack of dawn." With that, Embry ducked out of the tent, leaving Jacob to twiddle his thumbs in anticipation.

He had to admit he was feeling rather anxious. It's not like he was nervous that Edward wouldn't show. He knew that Edward was just as devoted to Jacob as Jacob was to him. Edward _had_ been the one to propose, after all. But to be so publicly…vulnerable. It made him feel a little uneasy.

"It's going to be okay, pup," a familiar voice murmured from outside the tent. Jacob froze.

"Edward?" he jumped up to open the tent flap but Edward's voice stopped him.

"Don't leave the tent," he said. "I managed to convince Alice to let me come by to talk to you, but I'm not allowed to see you yet." Edward chuckled. Jacob zeroed in on where Edward's voice was coming from and moved his hands up against the canvas of the tent. He hummed in contentment when he felt cold hands pressing against his own through the fabric.

"I miss you," Jacob said softly.

"It hasn't even been twenty four hours, love," Edward laughed. "But I miss you too."

"I thought that handing over the planning to Alice would make things easier but the not knowing is killing me." Jacob looked down at his clothes, reassuring himself that Alice knew what he and Edward wanted from their wedding and would give it to them.

"Only a little longer," Edward said. Jacob felt Edward's thumb stroking against his palm through the canvas of the tent.

"Alright, Edward," Emmett's voice called from nearby. "Time's up. I have been sent to collect you." Edward sighed in resignation.

"I love you, Jake," he murmured.

"I love you, Edward. See you out there."

* * *

Jacob had absolutely no means for comparison, but he truly believed that Alice had outdone herself.

She had timed it so that the ceremony would start right at the beginning of sunset. Small lights illuminated the path Jacob was to take towards the altar and he heard what sounded like a piano playing one of Edward's compositions. How the hell had she gotten a piano on the beach?

Jacob was able to make out more details as he drew closer. Like the fact that Edward was coming down a similarly lit path from a tent identical to his own on the other side of the beach. Jacob's heart thudded in his chest as they drew closer to one another. Edward was absolutely stunning. He was in an outfit similar to Jacob's, and Jacob was pleased to note that he too had left his top few buttons undone. Take that, Alice.

As they drew closer to each other and met at the start of the aisle, Jacob felt like the luckiest bastard alive. Edward's smile was positively radiant, and Jacob could feel his own face reflecting the smile back at him. Edward reached out to take his hand and Jacob eagerly accepted it.

The walk down the lighted aisle didn't feel nearly as cheesy as Jacob had feared it would. The music being played on the piano seamlessly transitioned into the happy and playful piece that Edward had written for him all those months ago. As they walked, he took in the smiling faces of pack mates, their Imprints, family, friends, and vampires. Jacob still couldn't believe there were vampires on La Push beach. As they approached the altar, Jacob turned his attention from the people around him to look forward. The altar was blessedly simple. An arch that seemed to have been constructed from driftwood, with intricate carvings up and down the sides. On either side of the arch were lit torches, and judging from the blue color of the flames Jacob was pretty sure the torches were burning driftwood.

Jacob looked back at the altar and noticed that there didn't appear to be an officiant waiting for them.

"We're going to marry ourselves," Edward explained in a whisper that only Jacob could here. Jacob was thankful. He hadn't requested much from Alice, but he had voiced his preference that Edward and Jacob be the ones to perform the actual ceremony themselves.

After what felt like both and eternity and a single millisecond, Edward and Jacob arrived at the altar just as Edward's composition reached its last few notes on the piano. They kept their fingers intertwined as they turned to face each other. Jacob chose to completely ignore any person on the beach that wasn't Edward. His fiancé seemed to be employing the same tactic with him. With a warm smile lighting up his face, Edward started to speak softly.

"'To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.' Jake, before you, existing was the best I could do. But now, as I stand here with you, I can feel myself living. Every time I see you, my heart races and my breath catches. You make me feel more human than I have felt in eighty-eight years. And I cannot imagine eternity without you."

Jacob let Edward's voice and words take hold in his memory. He wanted to remember this moment for the rest of forever. Then he took a deep breath, and it was his turn to speak.

"When you see him, everything changes. All of a sudden it's not gravity holding you to the planet—it's him. Nothing else matters. You would do anything, be anything for him. Edward, Imprinting on you has turned my world inside out in the most glorious way possible. I look forward to and treasure every day we spend together. And I cannot imagine eternity without you."

They had both agreed to end their vows with the same line, as they preferred it to the more traditional "I do." Jacob was lost in this moment, and now he understood why Edward had wanted to get married.

Jacob was shaken from his thoughts as one of the council elders approached them at the altar. Sam had explained a few days earlier the ritual that was specifically used for the marriage of an Imprinted couple. It was a blessing of sorts, bestowed upon them by the council.

Grateful that the ritual had been explained to him, Jacob dutifully began unbuttoning the top few buttons of Edward's shirt until his chest was exposed while Edward did the same for him. The council elder held a small bowl of ashes in his hands, a mixture of the burned remains of driftwood, yarrow, and cleavers. The elder first presented the bowl to Jacob, who pressed his index and middle fingers into the ashes and then brought his fingers to Edward's chest. He smudged the ashes over Edward's heart, three spots to form an inverted triangle. The bowl was then presented to Edward, who repeated the process on Jacob's chest. The triangle was meant to symbolize strength, trust, and peace.

Once the elder returned to their seat, it was just Edward and Jacob again. Jacob decided he would take the reigns for the end of the ceremony. He kept it short and simple.

"Forever," he said softly. Edward smiled.

"Forever," he agreed.

They came together in a kiss, sweet and gentle. Around them they heard the sound of applause and cheers but they were so wrapped up in each other that it sounded far away and muted to them. They remained under the altar for several long minutes, holding each other close. Jacob was vaguely aware of everyone else getting up to leave, but he didn't want to move from this spot.

"We can stay a little longer," Edward promised. "We're supposed to meet back at the house for the reception…eventually." Jacob smiled; he seemed to be doing that a lot today. The sun had already set and the glow of the aisle lights and torches in the darkness cast an ethereal glow upon Edward's skin. Jacob couldn't look away from him.

"This all feels so unreal," he said. "It's like a dream." Edward hummed in agreement.

"Alice knew what she was doing," Edward replied.

"I know," Jacob agreed. "It was perfect."

They basked in the silence for a while, absorbing the events of the evening and the new connection that seemed to have formed between them. Once the torches started dying down though, Edward spoke up.

"We should probably head back to the house," he said. Jacob whined.

"Do we _have_ to?"

"Afraid so, pup. Alice would throw quite the tantrum if we played hooky from our own wedding reception." Edward chuckled. Jacob sighed in resignation.

"Alright, alright," he grumbled. Jacob savored one last moment standing under the arch with Edward before releasing him.

"Don't worry," Edward reassured him as they walked to Edward's car. "It'll be fun."

* * *

Jacob wasn't sure if "fun" was the word he would have chosen to describe the scene that awaited them outside the Cullens' house.

It seemed that any restraint Alice had exercised for the ceremony was shucked aside for the reception. There were giant flowers everywhere, sheer white fabrics wrapped around tree trunks and hanging from branches. Jacob spotted a tower of champagne glasses and an ice sculpture in the shape of a wolf. There was even a dance floor. Ugh, Jacob hated dancing.

"I have a feeling this is more for Alice than it is for us," Edward chuckled as he saw the look of sheer terror on Jacob's face.

"We should have played hooky," Jacob replied.

"Jake!" Paul called out, ambling towards them with Willow in tow. "It's about time, man!" Well, it seemed Paul had already gotten into the champagne. His eyes were a little glazed, his hair was ruffled, and his shirt was unbuttoned halfway down. And that's when Jacob saw it. His eyes widened.

"Paul…did Willow… _bite_ you?" Jacob asked, shocked. Paul brought his fingers up to the very obvious bite mark at the junction of his neck and shoulder.

"She sure did." Paul grinned as he looked over to Willow, who simply winked in reply.

"What the hell, dude!?" Jacob was absolutely dumbfounded.

" _Dude_ ," Paul mocked, rolling his eyes, "Don't knock it 'till you try it. Hands down the best orgasm of my life." Leaving _that_ horrifying image in Jacob's brain, Paul and Willow danced off together to where the music was blaring from two giant speakers over a pretty crowded dance floor.

Jacob turned to Edward with wide eyes.

"How is he not dead?" he asked in a whisper. Edward considered the couple in question, whose dancing was starting to get downright indecent.

"Well, if Willow drank from him, she would have sucked out any venom that could have been harmful to his system." Edward looked a little disgusted. Jacob's mind, however, was racing. He was curious. Paul _had_ said it was the best orgasm of his life.

"Edward—"

"No, Jake," Edward cut him off sternly, having already heard the thought in Jacob's mind.

"But—"

"I said _no_."

"Why not?"

Edward turned furious eyes on him.

"You seriously want me to _bite_ you, Jake? Do you have any idea how painful a vampire bite is?"

"Obviously _not_ ," Jacob grumbled sullenly.

"You're unbelievable."

"Don't knock it 'till you try it," Jacob quoted. Edward just stared.

"Are you seriously taking advice from _Paul_ right now?"

Jacob crossed his arms over his chest. "The more vehemently you object to it, the more I'll want to try it."

Edward looked at him closely, and Jacob could tell he was reading his thoughts intently. More than happy to oblige, Jacob let the image of Edward pressing him up against a tree and biting down on his neck flicker through his mind. Edward's eyes widened. He was silent for a few moments.

" _Maybe_ ," he finally conceded. Jacob grinned, deciding to count that as a win.

"Edward! Jacob!" Alice's voice called out to them and they both turned to see her weaving between people to reach them. "What do you think?" she asked, grinning widely.

"The ceremony was beautiful, Alice. Thank you." Jacob very pointedly did not comment on the reception. Alice threw her head back and laughed.

"Luckily for you, I anticipated your unwillingness to partake in the celebration so—" she pulled a brass key out of her pocket and held it out to Jacob, who accepted it with mild confusion, "Here. Happy nuptials!" Without another word, she turned and headed straight towards the dance floor where Bella and Jasper were starting to follow Paul and Willow's example.

"What is this?" Jacob asked, holding up the key to examine it.

"A key," Edward deadpanned.

"Ha ha ha," Jacob said sarcastically. "I meant what is it for?"

"From what I gathered from Alice's thoughts, she wants me to show you rather than tell you."

"I'm not a big fan of surprises, Edward," Jacob grumbled.

"Indulge me," Edward requested sweetly. The wolf scowled at his husband for a few moments before letting out a sigh of defeat.

"Fine. Anything to get out of here." He gestured towards where Lucas and Seth—who had gotten his hands on a bottle of champagne—were standing on a table with their arms slung over each other's shoulders, singing along to the music.

Edward chuckled at the display, before taking Jacob's hand and tugging him towards the dense forest that surrounded the party.

"Follow me."

* * *

Alice watched smugly from the dance floor as the newlyweds disappeared into the trees.

"Think they'll like it?" Bella's voice murmured in her ear from behind as she wrapped Alice up in her arms.

"I know they will," Alice replied confidently, leaning back into Bella's embrace and tugging Jasper closer to her front. She could recognize that the way the three of them were dancing wasn't necessarily in good taste, but she needed to feel their closeness, to revel in their touches and melt against their lips. Tonight was important.

She had known that Jacob would not be too enthusiastic about the wedding reception. He preferred simplicity over extravagance. However, Alice was not about to let an opportunity for celebration pass when there seemed to be too few of them these days. Alice couldn't tell what was going to happen when it came time to face the Volturi, but having tonight was critical. For all of them. So rather than wait for the newly married couple to inevitably ditch the party in search of some privacy, she had sent them away herself. Edward and Jacob deserved to have as much of a honeymoon as they could right now, for there was no way of knowing if they would have the chance to go on a proper one after the Volturi arrived.

"You did a great job, Al." Bella's voice brought Alice back out of her thoughts. She turned to look over her shoulder and stole a quick kiss, reaching up to stroke at Bella's hair. Alice let the intensity of being in love wash over her, basking in it.

"It looks like the 'adults' are leaving," Jasper observed. The 'adults' he was referring to were Carlisle, Esme, and Billy. Jasper knew that Carlisle and Esme weren't strictly "parents" nor were they themselves "kids" in the traditional sense. But it would be easier to let loose without the gaze of older vampires upon them.

The group of three startled when someone bumped into them. Of course. Paul.

"This party is _so great_ ," he told Alice emphatically. "You're like, the best wedding planner ever." Willow giggled from where she was helping him stay upright.

"Thank you, Paul," Alice replied, trying to stifle her laughter. He wasn't paying her any more attention though, as he sauntered off to join Lucas and Seth, who were on one of the tables and singing loudly. It appeared that Paul was a friendly drunk.

Suddenly Alice's vision went blurry, and she was thrown into the familiar trance she went into whenever she would See into the future. Sunrise. Tomorrow morning. Aro. Jane. Alec. Marcus. Caius. Felix. More. Over a hundred more. No no no. This couldn't be happening now. Not for a few more days. They were supposed to have more time.

"No!" Alice cried out. Quite loudly apparently, as everyone in attendance turned to look at her.

"Alice? What is it?" Jasper gently reached up to cup Alice's face with his hands, something he often did whenever she had a particularly distressing vision.

"The Volturi. They're going to be here by morning." She spoke quietly but knew that everyone present could hear her. There was dead silence for half a second, and then everyone was a flurry of activity. Covens regrouped, Imprinted couples huddled close, and Alice heard the distinct sound of a wolf howling.

"Well, then," an accented voice spoke up. "The time for revenge is upon us." And no. Not them too. This couldn't be happening. Not tonight. Not here.

Vladimir and Stefan had returned.

* * *

"It's incredible," Jacob breathed as he took in the beautiful cottage before them. It had a catslide roof and ivy creeping up the front, and Jacob half-expected for Snow White to emerge from inside.

"It's ours," Edward smiled. "Want to go inside?" Jacob nodded.

"It's right on the border," the wolf observed as he went to unlock the front door.

"It is," Edward agreed.

"Brilliant." Jacob marveled at Alice's planning. The _click_ of the lock sounded so loud in the middle of the forest. Jacob glanced towards Edward, who gave him an encouraging smile. With a deep breath, Jacob turned the knob and pushed the door open.

He was stunned speechless. It was small and simple and cozy and so _so_ perfect. There was a fire already lit in the grate, with more logs waiting on a rack. The floor plan was open, and from where Jacob stood in the doorway he could see the kitchen where a black kettle was sitting on the stove.

"You can step fully inside, you know," Edward said from behind him, sounding amused. Jacob followed the suggestion and entered the cottage— _their_ cottage. Off to the right he saw two doors, which presumably led to the bathroom and the bedroom. Bedroom. Jacob hurried over to open the doors. The first one he opened was to the bathroom and Jacob's jaw dropped at the large glass shower and claw-foot tub. Almost instantly, he pictured the two of them inside the tub together, and felt his cock twitch in his pants.

Strong arms wrapped around his waist and the familiar cold touch of Edward's lips pressed against his neck.

"Shall we?" he asked softly. Jacob could only nod in response. He turned towards the other door, unsure why he felt so nervous. And then he realized.

"A bed…"

"A bed." Edward agreed, and Jacob could hear the smile in his voice.

"We're probably going to destroy it," Jacob said, echoing Edward's comment from a few weeks ago.

"You haven't even seen it yet, Jake," Edward teased. Jacob sighed and moved to open the door.

The aforementioned bed was absolutely enormous. The wooden box frame _looked_ sturdy enough but Jacob wouldn't be able to be sure about that until they tested it out for themselves.

"I like the way you think," Edward said, gently prodding at Jacob's back to push him towards the bed. Jacob grinned and let himself be guided. Edward's hands came up from behind and slowly started undoing the buttons of Jacob's shirt. The wolf whined impatiently.

"We have all night," Edward soothed, letting his fingers gently brush against an exposed nipple. Jacob's hips jerked forward at the stimulation.

" _Edward_ ," he moaned.

"What is it, pup?" Edward's lips moved against the skin of Jacob's neck, and Jacob shivered at the sensation.

"I need you…" Jacob breathed, and despite his shirt slipping off his shoulders to land on the floor, his skin felt even more heated. He turned in Edward's arms, reaching up to wind his arms around Edward's neck.

"I can't believe we're married," he said, leaning forward to press his forehead against Edward's. "It feels so surreal. This whole day has been surreal, honestly."

"Happiest day of my life," Edward replied, before leaning in and kissing Jacob sweetly. The gentleness and love behind it made Jacob want to cry.

"Please, Edward," he begged, pulling him close.

"Hey, shh. I've got you." Edward slowly lowered Jacob down onto the bed and Jacob groaned at the unbelievable softness.

"This is the best bed ever," he said.

"Is it really?" Edward asked fondly, amused at the slightly hazy state of his husband.

"Mhm. Now get naked and make it even better," he demanded. Edward chuckled and sat up, lifting his hands to start unbuttoning his shirt.

"Your wish is my command."

Both boys froze, however, at the sound of a wolf howling in the distance. Jacob slowly closed his eyes.

"Please tell me I imagined that," he mumbled, unwilling to believe that the perfection of today was about to be brought to an abrupt halt. Before Edward had a chance to respond, another howl sounded.

"Great. Just perfect," Jacob growled, watching in despair as Edward re-buttoned his shirt. "This better be important."

* * *

The mind link was a jumbled mess when Jacob phased, but the clearest voice was that of Mae, one of the younger wolves. That meant she was closer than the others.

' _Finally_!' she grumbled. ' _I was worried I would have to come and get you_.'  
 _'What happened?'_ he asked, disregarding her comment. He was in quite a foul mood.

 _'It's the Volturi. They're going to be here by sunrise tomorrow morning.'_

Jacob almost tripped over his own paws. No. They were supposed to have more time. The Volturi wasn't supposed to be here for another couple of days.

 _'Leah has us stationed in groups of two at various points along the border.'_ Thank god for his second-in-command. That was exactly what Jacob would have done.

 _'Jake!'_ Embry's voice rang out in his head as they drew closer. Embry must be paired up with Mae. _'How long should we stay stationed here?'_

 _'I'm going to consult with the Cullens and we'll make our next move from there.'_

 _'You got it.'_

"Everything is going to be okay, Jake," Edward soothed from where he was running next to Jacob.

 _'No!'_ Jacob growled, unable to keep his anger down. _'You don't get to say that anymore. That phrase is officially forbidden from use until this is over.'_ Edward didn't say anything in response and Jacob was grateful.

When they arrived at the Cullens' house, Jacob noticed two things: one, despite all the covens being there, they were broken up into their respective groups—Jacob would have to ask Piero if he could initiate a stronger sense of unity among the entire army; two, Vladimir and Stefan were here, and the dread that had pooled in his stomach upon hearing the news of the Volturi's early arrival turned to boiling hot acid. He had hoped the two vampires would stay away.

 _'How long until sunrise?'_ Jacob asked Edward.

"Probably another five hours or so," Edward replied. Jacob groaned. Their odds of survival were rapidly dwindling even lower.

 _'How is Bella's shield?'_ Jacob asked, looking over to where Bella was once again practicing with Kate, Tanya, Carmen, and Eleazer.

"Strong," Edward said confidently. "Bella!" he called out. She turned towards him as they approached. "Could you try expanding your shield over everyone else?" Bella's eyes widened in disbelief as she turned to look at the thirty-or-so vampires gathered in the yard. Jasper raised a hand to her shoulder in encouragement and Bella took an unnecessary breath—old habits die hard—before closing her eyes. A look of intense concentration came across her face as she pushed and stretched her Gift farther than anything she had tried so far. Edward watched her, and then his attention flitted over those around her. His eyes stopped at where Peter and Charlotte were standing. Jacob inwardly groaned. Bella's shield was only enclosing about a third of those present. Edward turned towards Jacob.

"I'm going to keep practicing with her," he said. "We can't afford to weaken anyone by letting Kate use her psychic pulses." Jacob nodded.

 _'I'm going to go check on the rest of the pack,'_ Jacob replied but didn't move. Parting from Edward with the Volturi's arrival so close made Jacob nervous.

"Don't worry pup," Edward said softly, coming close to stroke a hand down Jacob's muzzle. Jacob's wolf whined at the contact.

 _'I love you.'_

"I love you, too. Be safe."

Before Jacob could change his mind, he darted off into the woods in search of his pack.

* * *

Jasper tried to keep an optimistic outlook. But the longer he watched Bella struggle to spread her shield enough, the more worried he became. She and Edward had been at it for a little over two hours, and she had barely made any progress. He didn't let his anxiety show, though. Instead, he sent regular pulses of calm across the large gathering of vampires present. Bella was having a hard time remaining calm, though. Every time she failed to stretch her shield far enough, she would let out a frustrated shout and start to shake in anger. It was clear she was straining herself.

"Bella maybe you should take a break," he suggested softly. She whirled on him, fury in her eyes.

"Maybe _you_ should take a break," she snarled, before turning back towards Edward and pushing her shield out once more. Well then.

Luckily a distraction came in the form of Jacob returning with Sam and Piero in tow. Jasper sensed high levels of excitement coming off of Jacob in waves. Edward turned from Bella as his wolf approached, and the excitement transferred to him as well when he read Jacob's mind.

"Yes!" he cheered. Jasper was glad that there appeared to be good news.

"It will not work for everyone," Piero spoke up. "I can certainly manage it for the Imprinted couples and maybe for the individual covens but the best I can do for the group as a whole is instill a sense of harmony and accord."

"We'll take what we can get!" Edward said. He turned towards Bella, Jasper, and Alice. "Piero is going to initiate mind links between the Imprints," he explained. That was certainly a point in their favor. Being able to read each other's minds and not needing to communicate verbally was quite an advantage over the Volturi.

Jasper watched in fascination as Piero had Edward and Jacob's wolf turn to face one another. "Yours will be the easiest since you can already read minds, Edward. And it's best that Jacob is in wolf form since he already has a certain level of mind reading power like this." Piero explained as he circled the couple slowly; observing, examining, considering. Each time he circled around them, he moved closer and closer. It was like he was wrapping them in an invisible string, and soon he was standing right beside them. Jasper saw the tension that Jacob and Edward seemed to be holding in their muscles, like they were trying to hold onto a particularly heavy weight. Piero lifted his hands and pressed two fingers against each of their temples. Piero's eyes closed and his brow furrowed in concentration. Slowly, he started moving the fingers that were pressed against Edward's temple closer to the ones pressed against Jacob's. Jasper could almost see the transfer of energy that was occurring, it was that strong.

He felt Jacob's mounting sense of excitement and he laughed when he saw that he had even started wagging his tail. There was silence for quite a while as Edward and Jacob stared at each other intently. Edward's smile slowly widened.

"Amazing," he said. Piero nodded in satisfaction.

"Shall I go to the other Imprints?" he asked, eyes darting to Sam briefly. The movement was not lost on Jasper.

Edward and Jacob seemed to communicate something silently before Edward turned towards Piero.

"Yes. Thank you, Piero. This could be the difference between victory and defeat."

Piero gave a small gracious bow to the couple.

"Truly, it is the least I can do," he said. He turned towards Sam and the two stared at each other silently. Slowly, a smile started to form on Piero's lips and then he and Sam were turning towards the forest and taking off in search of the rest of the pack.

* * *

An hour before the Volturi's arrival, Jacob was looking around at the large group that had gathered in the clearing. Their head count came out to thirty-four vampires (although two of them were unwanted) and twelve wolves, four of which were on the reservation patrolling the border. Forty-six seemed like a high number, but Jacob was no fool. He had been listening closely when Piero was describing the Guard. The enemy would outnumber them three-fold.

 _'We are strong.'_ It was still a bit of a shock to hear Edward's voice in his head. But Jacob was extremely grateful. Even if it didn't end up being an advantage in the fight itself, being able to communicate with Edward in this way was certainly a comfort.

 _'The Volturi shall burn!'_ Luna crowed. It was even weirder hearing his pack mates' Imprints' voices in his head. Jacob was glad that he could only hear Luna's thoughts when both he and Leah were in wolf form.

 _'We'll take them down—'_ Seth started.

 _'—and tear them apart.'_ Lucas finished gleefully.

 _'Can you guys stop doing that?'_ Paul groaned. _'It's seriously starting to creep me out.'_

 _'Oh let them have their fun, Paul,'_ Sam chuckled.

The formation that Jacob and Bella had chosen was a defensive one. The two of them stood at the front of their group so Bella had a spot that was the most conducive for using her shield. Jasper was standing next to her, and would be sending out very discreet pulses of calm and serenity to the enemy to prevent an attack. Edward stood on Jacob's other side, ready to convey any and all thoughts that he could pick up from Aro and the Guard. Kate, Emmett, and Luna were close to the front, but behind the defense. They were the offensive unit, meant to only come to the forefront if peaceful negotiations failed. Stefan and Vladimir were in the back, but not the very back. They stood in front of Carlisle, Petros, and Lucas, who were to keep a close eye on them in case they tried any action that was not approved by Bella or Jacob.

The rest of the group was shuffled throughout, purposefully breaking up the covens. They didn't want to appear divided, as that would make targeting individual groups easier. Most had been reluctant at first, but then Piero had initiated a relational shift that merged the entire group and allowed for trust to flow more freely throughout the unit. Piero had been unable to initiate mind links among the covens but he had been able to instill a higher level of intuition, allowing each coven member to better sense and anticipate the others' moods and behaviors.

Considering the fact that they hadn't been expecting the Volturi for another few days, Jacob believed that they were all as well prepared as they could be.

He watched the horizon intently, gaze unwavering. His alpha was starting to get riled at the knowledge that hostile vampires were so close to the Rez. Edward tried to soothe him by reaching up to stroke at the fur behind his ear.

 _'I'll be right beside you the whole time, pup,'_ he said. _'If we succeed, we succeed together. If we go down, we go down together.'_

 _'Hear hear!'_ Embry crowed. There was a ripple of agreement throughout the other wolves and their Imprints.

Jacob stiffened as the sun started to peak out over the mountains. It was time.

Almost immediately, his nose was assaulted with the stench of leech. It permeated the air, almost menacingly. Like a warning to all nearby that danger and death were coming.

Growls started sounding out amongst the wolves as the smell grew stronger.

 _'Hush!'_ Jacob ordered, completely in alpha mode. _'We stand down unless provoked.'_

The snarls immediately ceased, subject as the wolves were to the alpha's command.

 _'We can do this. We will protect our land and our people. We will protect our Imprints and their families.'_ Another chorus of agreement amongst the wolves and then it became eerily silent. Everyone was on high alert.

 _'They're here,'_ Jacob said.

And then, slowly, the Volturi came up over the horizon.


	29. Chapter 29

It was quite obvious to Jacob which one of the approaching vampires was Aro as the Volturi stopped about ten meters away from where they stood. He was wearing the same sickeningly serene smile that Piero had worn when Jacob had first met him. It was just as unnerving as it had been then. Probably even more so. It wasn't like Victoria's smile had been, wild and feral. And it wasn't like Riley's smile, bloodthirsty and eager to kill. Aro smiled like he was hosting a party rather than preparing to destroy Jacob and his family. He was calm and serene, and that unnerved Jacob.

He saw the way that Aro was looking up and down their line of defense. Jacob didn't want him to have the first word, but he also had no idea what to say to this vicious and power hungry vampire that wanted to enslave Jacob's pack. It was like he was suddenly paralyzed in fear. He gave a mental kick to his inner alpha, scrambling to find something for Edward to say out loud for him. Aro made the decision for him, though, when his blood-red eyes fell on Piero.

"Piero." Sam snarled as Aro practically purred the name, and Jacob started to wonder how much of who Piero used to be was actually Piero and how much of it was simply an imitation of Aro. "Thank you for gathering the wolves," Aro smiled. "Though I must admit my confusion to seeing so many of our brethren here as well." Jacob was not fooled. He knew that Aro was quite aware of Piero's newfound stance. Jacob may not like Aro but he knew that so much power could not have been gathered through anything other than cunning and shrewd attention to detail.

When Piero made no move to answer, Aro chuckled before his face smoothed into a more stern expression. Jacob felt his blood run cold.

 _'How is Bella's shield?'_ he asked Edward anxiously.

 _'She's struggling to expand it. I'm not sure why…'_

"Your defection and desertion cannot be ignored, Piero," Aro continued. "Surely you must know that punishment is necessary."

Sam let out another warning snarl, but Jacob heard Piero's thoughts in the newly formed mind link.

 _'Punishment…'_

Jacob's head snapped over to look at where Piero was standing on the other side of Edward. If Jacob didn't know any better, he would say that Piero sounded almost…longing? Jacob looked back at Aro in shock.

Sam's reply was anxious and loaded with fear. _'Piero, no. Listen to me. No. You don't need to be punished.'_

If the smirk on Aro's face was any indication, he was well aware of the silent communication.

"Piero, come to me." That damned lilting tone again. Jacob felt violent anger rising but fought to suppress it. He needed to keep a level head, now more than ever.

Jacob watched in horror as Piero lurched forward, stumbling before righting himself. Piero looked to Aro with wide eyes. Jacob could practically smell the terror radiating off of him.

 _'Mind control.'_ Piero explained to the pack.

 _'Who is it?'_ Edward asked, eyes scanning the Guard.

 _'I'm not sure. Aro didn't have this when I was last with him.'_

Jacob started to panic, and lifted his paw to discretely nudge at Bella's leg.

The movement was not lost on Aro, though. He grinned and Jacob's stomach felt like it was trying to turn itself inside out.

"Ah, you must be the famous Jacob, yes?" Aro's smile widened as he eyed the close proximity between Edward and Jacob. "Edward's mate." That sounded a lot like a threat. Jacob's posture went rigid, his alpha poised for attack. But Aro turned his attention back to Piero before Jacob could give a warning growl.

"I said, _come_ , Piero."

Piero obliged, fighting every step of the way.

 _'Piero!'_ Sam lurched forward and snatched at the back of Piero's shirt with his jaws, holding him in place.

 _'Release me, Sam.'_ The Imprint's command was strong and Sam whined low in his throat as his body moved to obey. Piero turned to face him, eyes flitting over to Bella before they came back to look at Sam.

 _'Stay, Sam.'_

 _'Piero, please. Please don't.'_

Piero hesitated, and it looked as if he might have broken free from whichever member of the Guard had their hold on him. He took a small step back towards Sam.

" _Piero!"_ Aro's growl sounded out loudly in the otherwise silent clearing. " _Come!_ "

 _'Bella's shield is holding!'_ Edward exclaimed.

But it was too late. Despite the fact that everyone else was now enclosed in Bella's protection, Piero was too far out of range. He let out barely stifled gasps as he tripped over to where Aro stood.

 _'Jake I can't watch this.'_ Sam was losing it. _'Give me an alpha command! Maybe it can override Piero's order!'_

But Jacob couldn't do that.

 _'I can't have someone else outside of Bella's shield, Sam. Especially not a wolf. I'm sorry.'_ Jacob's heart broke at the despairing sound that broke from Sam's throat.

 _'You can't let this happen, Jake! Not again, not again, not again, not again…'_ Sam was working himself into a panic.

Jacob glanced over to Jasper, hoping to convey his request silently. Jasper nodded before directing his attention towards Sam.

 _'Not…again….n-not…again…'_ Despite his pleading words, Sam was slowly calming. Relieved to have some semblance of control back, Jacob looked towards where Piero was now kneeling before Aro with his head bowed in submission.

 _'Edward who is it?'_ Jacob asked.

 _'I'm not….There!'_ the image of what looked like twin vampires flickered through Edward's mind and Jacob immediately started scanning the Guard for the culprits. He spotted them standing behind Aro, flanking him. But soon they moved closer, one had her eyes focused on Piero, and the other was staring intently at Aro.

 _'They don't possess mind control powers, strictly,'_ Edward explained, face tense. _'Their Gift is some sort of mirroring effect. They can use another vampire's Gift against them. Damnit. That's probably why Bella was having issues with her shield.'_

 _'What are they doing to him?'_ If Aro had that kind of power on his side he could regain control of Piero and force him to carry out his original mission.

 _'It seems they're trying to revert his loyalty back to Aro, but the Imprint is providing a kind of barrier. They—oh no…'_

Jane was stepping forward, joining Aro and the twins where they stood. There was a disturbingly sadistic grin on her face.

 _'Jake do something!'_ Sam cried out. Jasper's powers weren't enough to hold back his despair anymore.

Jacob was at a loss. If he engaged in combat then it would surely be a bloodbath and the goal was to walk away with as many people alive as possible. And well…Piero _had_ been a part of the Volturi. He had come here with the original intent to destroy the pack and enslave them. Jacob was somewhat ashamed to admit that if it had been any other person from their side, he probably would have already engaged. Especially if it had been one of the Cullens, Bella, or an Imprint…well, a _real_ Imprint.

But now Jacob was frozen in place, unable to make a decision. He was riding completely on alpha instincts now and those instincts had no idea how to handle the situation.

 _'NO!'_ Sam's desperate cry made Jacob's heart break, and he watched in horror as Piero's body convulsed and spasmed on the ground, in agony under Jane's torturous gaze.

 _'They're trying to weaken him. To break down the Imprint's barrier more easily.'_ Edward continued to describe what he was hearing from the other side of the clearing. And while Jacob knew any information of the sort was invaluable, his own refusal to help Piero resulted in his feeling like the scene before him was playing out in a kind of macabre and disturbing narration. He couldn't imagine what Sam must be feeling right now. Well, he could. The unending distressed wails coming from the wolf's mind was indication enough.

 _'Jake,'_ Leah rang out as the voice of reason. _'If Aro does manage to restore Piero's loyalty to him, the pack will be in danger.'_ She was right. Every minute he spent uselessly watching in abject horror was a minute wasted. _'He's still Sam's Imprint, Jake. We can't let Sam go through this again.'_

That settled it.

 _'Edward, order me again.'_

 _'Jake?'_ Edward's tone was wary. Jacob turned to look at him.

 _'Order me again.'_

Edward's expression sparked in realization but then he bit his lip, hesitating.

 _'If something happens to you—'_

 _'_ Edward, _order me again.'_

There was clear pain in Edward's eyes, but he dutifully said the words.

 _'Jacob. I command you to_ never _Imprint on someone else ever again, and_ never _bend to the will of our enemies. You_ will _come back to me, and you will come back to me_ alive _.'_

Jacob shivered as the intensity of the command fell over him. Confident in the protection it afforded him, he stepped forward and away from the protective enclosure of Bella's shield.

Immediately all eyes, including Jane's, were on him. He drew closer towards the enemy and the slumped over form of Sam's Imprint, knowing that if he wanted to communicate at all with Aro while maintaining any semblance of security as he approached, he would have to stay in wolf form. The only option was to let Aro touch him. Jacob went about setting up the mind blocks he had been practicing with Piero shortly before the Volturi's arrival. However, when he was about halfway across the clearing, Jacob heard a sudden disturbance behind him. He turned back towards their army, and his eyes widened in disbelief when he saw that Sam had broken free from Piero's order and was now charging full tilt toward his Imprint.

 _'Sam, no!'_

Sam froze in place but the damage was already done. There were now two wolves outside of Bella's shield. And apparently that was all Aro needed.

"Now, Piero," he commanded quietly.

Piero whipped around to look at Sam. His glazed over eyes were wide and somewhat feral. His hand shot out in Sam's direction and immediately Sam's wolf fell to the ground, yelping in pain.

 _'Piero! What are you doing?!'_ He got not response. Not even any passing thoughts or images. Oh no.

The twins had ripped Piero out of the mind link. That must have been what set Sam off.

 _'Jake...'_ Sam's thoughts sounded broken and muffled, but he fought valiantly to communicate. _'New…Imprint. H-happening again…'_

Jacob prepared to attack. This is what they had come here to prevent, and Jacob would be damned if he let any of his pack mates Imprint on this heartless, cold monster before him.

 _'Edward, send over Kate, Emmett, and Luna.'_

But before Jacob could even make a move, an unfamiliar scent drifted on the wind. It got closer and stronger with each passing second and then out of nowhere a wolf shot out in front of Sam's twitching form, snarling and viciously snapping its jaws at Aro and the Volturi. But this wasn't a wolf from Jacob's pack. It was absolutely enormous, easily twice the size of Sam's own wolf. The fur was stark white and flickered oddly in the early morning light.

 _'What the—'_

"I'm afraid I will have to ask you to stop that," a strange voice said from Jacob's left. He turned to see a vampire approaching; at least…he _thought_ it was a vampire. They had the same pale and shimmery complexion, the same beautiful yet slightly predatory features, and the same sickeningly sweet smell. But the vampire's eyes…they weren't red or even topaz like the Cullens'. They were green; bright, vibrant green. What the hell? Jacob didn't have much time to ponder it because suddenly those eyes turned to Jacob and he immediately tensed out of instinct.

"Would you please assist your pack mate back to your family?" The vampire asked, gesturing to Sam's now-still body.

Jacob had a snap decision to make. Here was a wolf—probable ally, but also a vampire—possible enemy. Why were they here? Was the wolf another shifter? And where the hell had they come from? But in the end he accepted the suggestion to help Sam back to the safety of Bella's shield. Despite the urgent nature of the situation, Jacob was incredibly curious as to the identity of these newcomers.

Once Jacob and Sam were safe in the protected enclosure, several more strange white wolves came out of the trees as well as a few more odd, green-eyed vampires.

He turned to look at Aro, and was pleased to note that he did not appear at all happy with this interruption to his plan.

"I shall also have to ask you to restore that man's Imprint, if you would," the vampire said, pointing to Piero. Jacob's eyes widened. How did they know about Imprints?

When neither Aro nor the twins made any move to comply, the wolves that had emerged from the trees started growling lowly. Aro hesitated for a moment before making a small gesture with his hand.

Jane's gaze directed towards the vampire, intense and purposeful. The vampire simply laughed.

"I'm afraid that won't work on me, Jane."

Jane's eyes widened in disbelief. Jacob didn't blame her. Just how much did this vampire know?

"I will be happy to listen to any and all questions you might have, but I cannot continue until this man's Imprint has been restored and he has been reunited with his wolf. I will not ask a third time, Aro." The vampire's expression darkened considerably, no longer laughing. They were talking to Aro like he was some errant child on the verge of being punished should he continue to disobey. Despite the serious and frankly bizarre nature of the situation, Jacob wanted to laugh at the stricken look on Aro's face.

Clearly not wanting to admit defeat so soon, yet recognizing his loss of control in the situation, Aro gave a jerky nod to the twins standing beside him.

The two stepped away from the group with Piero in tow, moving towards where the strange vampire was standing. The vampire turned towards where Sam was perched right on the edge of Bella's shield. Sam was staring intently at Piero's limp form being dragged by the twins. Once they were close enough, Sam stumbled forward without waiting for orders and moved to get a closer look at his Imprint.

"I wouldn't," one of the twins cautioned. Sam snarled at her but she wasn't intimidated. "He's still under Aro's control until we switch it back," she explained, eyes flicking over to the strange vampire who was watching closely.

"Fix it. _Now,_ " the vampire demanded, voice cold.

The twins set to work. One had her gaze fixed on Sam and the other on Piero. Jacob watched in fascination as Sam's muscles slowly relaxed, and soon little whispers of Piero's voice were echoing in Jacob's head.

 _'…Sam…where's Sam…Sam…'_ Glazed eyes gradually cleared and Piero looked up from where he was slumped on the ground.

 _'It's okay, Piero,'_ Sam said. _'I've got you.'_ He moved forward, nudging his large head under Piero's arm and encouraging him to lean against Sam for support. Almost immediately, Piero's arms wound tightly around Sam, as if afraid to let go.

 _'For a minute I thought it was all over. I thought they had got me.'_ Piero's voice still sounded weak, but Jacob strongly suspected that was a result from Jane's torture and not from a faulty Imprint on the twins' end.

Said twins nodded curtly at Sam and then more cautiously at the strange vampire who was still staring them down.

"You may return to your master," the vampire said. The twins cowered under the vampire's gaze and quickly retreated to where Aro was waiting.

"You have what you wanted," Aro spoke up. "Now, answer me. What are you?"

The strange vampire turned to Jacob and gave a small smile and a wink before turning back to fully face Aro.

"We are the Custos, and we come from a colony far from here." The vampire answered.

"The Custos? What are the Custos? I've never heard of you before," Aro said, sounding wary.

"We have been on this Earth far longer than you have, Aro. Our colony is certainly large enough to overcome your little Volturi—" Aro visibly bristled, "—but we do not desire power or control. We simply wish to live our eternities in peace. We have allowed you to reign over the vampires of the world, but stealing wolves from their Imprints…this I simply will not tolerate. We are protectors of the Imprint, and what you have attempted is a grave offense that I simply cannot allow to go unpunished." Aro tensed at that, eyeing the large white wolves that were surrounding his Guard.

 _'Edward?'_ Jacob needed to know. _'What is he going to do?'_

Edward's eyes were wide with disbelief. _'I…I don't know. I can't read him.'_

Jacob's mind flashed back to the scene in Sam's kitchen when Piero first initiated the Imprint, how Edward hadn't been able to get a read on Piero then either.

 _'It's not like it was with Piero. It's like there's nothing there at all. Like with Bella…'_

 _'What about the wolves then? The other vampires?'_

 _'I can't read any of them, Jake.'_

Well then.

Jacob got his answer about what exactly the strange vampire was planning to do when the vampire nodded to the wolf who had first leapt in to defend Sam. In a move so fast that even in his wolf form Jacob almost missed it, the white wolf darted forward towards the Guard. Before Aro could even twitch, twin shrieks of terror sounded out in the clearing and then were abruptly cut off. When the white wolf quickly retreated back to the strange vampire's side, they left behind the shredded remains of what looked like Jane and Alec.

"NO!" Aro cried out, dropping down to frantically run his fingers over the ripped flesh of his two favorite weapons. He whirled on the strange vampire, and Jacob could see the crippling fear in Aro's eyes.

 _'Shouldn't they burn them?'_ Jacob asked.

 _'It appears they don't need to,'_ Edward replied, eyeing the torn corpses warily.

"Run along, Aro," the strange vampire said, the command clear in their voice. "And should I get wind of another plot such as this, I will not hesitate to destroy your entire Guard."

It seemed that Aro's sense of self-preservation was stronger than that of revenge. Within moments he and the Guard were out of sight, retreating back to where they had come from.

The strange vampire turned to face Jacob, smiling warmly. "I think that went quite well," they said.

Jacob still wasn't quite sure what had just happened. The Volturi had actually _run away_.

"I have so many questions," Edward began, but the vampire held up a silencing hand.

"I would imagine so," they said. "However, we pride ourselves on keeping our identity and our location secret." The vampire looked to Jacob. "Since you are the alpha of this pack, I am willing to disclose some information to you, and your Imprint—" the vampire gestured to Edward, "—may join us. But I must ask that no one else listen into our conversation. We are a very private people."

Jacob turned towards the crowd around him. He was more than relieved that it hadn't come to blows, but now he felt rather silly keeping them all there.

"We can go to the cottage," Edward said, interrupting Jacob's train of thought. Jacob nodded.

 _'Leah, take the pack back to the Rez, I want everyone on border patrol. Just in case they decide to come back.'_

 _'What about the other leeches?'_ she asked.

 _'They've always had the freedom to leave whenever they want. Let them go their own way.'_

With that, Jacob turned back to Edward.

 _'This is weird,'_ he said, nodding to the strange vampire and the white wolf, both of whom were waiting patiently. Jacob guessed the vampire was most likely the wolf's Imprint.

 _'It'll be alright,'_ Edward smiled, reaching out and petting Jacob's muzzle. Jacob leaned into the touch, thankful to have survived the ordeal and thankful that Edward was still standing by his side. There's no telling what would have happened had the so-called Custos never arrived.

 _'All right. Let's go home.'_


	30. Chapter 30

Jacob and Edward soon learned that the vampire's name was Kai, and their wolf's name was Seneca. Seneca looked quite odd in human form. She actually looked a lot like Kai with her pale skin and green eyes, and Jacob was more curious than ever about _what_ exactly they were.

"How did you know our pack was Imprinting on vampires?" Jacob asked. Seneca smiled.

"We keep tabs on all other shifter packs," she said.

"There are more?" Jacob had been under the impression that the Quileutes were the only shifters in existence.

"Of course. But most packs consist of three or four wolves. Your pack is the largest I've seen in a long time, aside from my own of course."

"Why do you look so…" Jacob trailed off, not wanting to offend this other alpha by being insensitive to her particular species. But she only smiled again.

"Your Imprint is still young," she said. "But there are many gifts that an Imprint provides that are unique to a wolf-vampire bond. For instance, Kai drinks solely from me. They have no need to hunt humans or animals anymore."

Jacob felt his jaw drop.

"Kai _drinks_ from you?!" he asked incredulously.

"It is why they look different from other vampires. And it's why I look the way that I do. When a vampire drinks from their wolf, the bond gradually allows their biology to homogenize. It takes quite a few centuries before reproduction is possible but—"

" _Reproduction?!"_ Jacob's mind was spinning.

"Yes," Seneca didn't appear at all upset at being interrupted. "Some of our female pack mates have had children. Some of the vampires have managed to conceive but have been unable to carry the child to full term thus far."

Jacob was dumbstruck. He slumped in his seat on the couch in their living room.

"How did your colony form in the first place?" Edward asked.

"We were originally rivals," Kai said, looking at Seneca fondly. "Seneca found us hunting in her pack's territory and probably would have killed us all had she not Imprinted on me."

"At first I was furious," Seneca continued the story. "Our pack existed solely for the purpose of destroying vampires and keeping them away from our territory. I thought I was going mad."

Jacob flashed a small smile at Edward. This sounded a lot like their own story.

"She tried to fight it at first," Kai said. "But I was drawn to her like a magnet to metal."

"I became pretty ill." Seneca looked to Jacob. "I'm sure you're well aware of the ramifications of attempting to reject an Imprint." Oh yes, Jacob knew all too well. "I collapsed one day while I was out patrolling our territory and when I came to, Kai was there with me."

"When she finally accepted me, members of her pack started Imprinting on members of my coven. We have no idea why it happened, or why it is happening to you now. But we do know that an Imprint with a vampire makes both the wolf and the vampire stronger. It's incredible. And sometimes…" Kai dropped their head, smiling shyly. "Sometimes when I drink from her, I can actually _feel_ my heart beating. It's slow and faint, and it disappears immediately when I finish drinking…but it's there. And it's one of the most amazing things I have ever felt."

Jacob sat back in his seat, completely dumbfounded by this revelation. When he had learned of Willow drinking from Paul he had initially been horrified, if a little curious. He was mostly concerned for his pack mate's wellbeing. But, if what Seneca and Kai were saying was true, Willow's venom could actually make Paul stronger. He was even more adamant now that Edward try drinking from him.

"How did Aro not know about your existence after all this time?" Edward asked, interrupting Jacob's thoughts. Seneca smiled.

"We are very well secluded, and we rarely leave our territory unless we're checking up on other shifter packs. And even then, we only send scouts who are able to cover their scents particularly well. Despite our strength, we had no intention of attempting to rule over other vampires or shifters. We just wanted to be with our Imprints in peace. We didn't make it our business to interfere with the lives of other vampires, and cared little for the atrocities that Aro and the Volturi committed in their scramble for power. However," Seneca's face darkened, "When one of our scouts returned with news about a possible attack on your pack, we could not stand idly by. The Imprint is the most sacred of bonds, stronger even than the bonds between members in a pack or coven. It overrides all other instincts, connects you to another's soul in a way unrivaled by any other sort of relationship or force on Earth. As Custos, we consider it our duty to protect the sanctity of the Imprint and to prevent other powers from interfering with the remarkable beauty that comes from such a bond." About halfway through her rant, Seneca's attention had gradually drifted from Edward to Kai. The expression on her face could only be described as love struck.

"I cannot thank you enough," Jacob said quietly, his own gaze now drawn to Edward.

Edward scooted closer to Jacob and held him tightly. Hot anger welled in Edward's gut as he thought about what might have happened had the Custos not arrived. Would Jacob be under Aro's control by now? Would he have had to live with the gaping wound in his soul that surely would have entailed had Jacob been ripped away from him?

"Shh," Jacob soothed, folding into Edward's strong embrace as he heard the frantic thoughts running through Edward's mind. "It's okay. I'm here."

Edward gave a short, jerky nod but did not surrender his hold on Jacob.

"When Piero started shifting Sam's Imprint I thought…I thought they had won," Edward rasped.

"But they didn't," Jacob murmured softly, turning to press a soft kiss to his husband's neck. "We did."

 _'And I think it's about time that we celebrate our victory,'_ he added silently. Jacob turned to Seneca and Kai, trying to think of a polite way to kick them out so he could be alone with Edward. But when he looked to where they had been sitting, Jacob saw that the seats were empty.

"How…?"

"Seems they weren't kidding about their enhanced power," Edward chuckled, looking pleasantly surprised. "I can't think of the last time someone was able to slip by me without me noticing." It was Edward's turn to start mouthing at Jacob's neck and Jacob stiffened, as the movement had taken on a completely new significance since their talk with Seneca and Kai.

"Bedroom," he gasped out, trying to focus.

"Your wish is my command," Edward murmured. And suddenly the world was tilted on its axis. Jacob scrambled to hold on as Edward hauled him off to their room, and then he was lying down on his back in their bed and Edward was crawling on top of him.

"Hi," Edward said softly, leaning down to nip at Jacob's lip.

"Hi," Jacob replied, looking at his husband with wide eyes.

"May I remove your clothes?" Edward asked. Jacob let out a scoff.

"As if you need to ask."

In a flurry of movement the two hastily undressed each other, desperate as they were to finally have a proper "wedding night" now that the threat of the Volturi had passed. Never mind the fact that this "wedding night" was more like a "wedding afternoon."

In a surge of power, Jacob flipped their positions. The stress of the morning had his alpha raring to go. He looked down at Edward in awe.

"You're so beautiful," he breathed out, reaching up to cup Edward's cheek in his hand.

"Come here," Edward wrapped his hand around the back of Jacob's neck to pull him down for a kiss. Jacob started mouthing his way down Edward's body, and Edward let out a soft moan when Jacob reached his hip and gently bit down on the skin. "Jake…" Edward tugged on Jacob's hair and thrust his hips upward, clearly impatient to get Jacob where he wanted him. Jacob wasn't having any of that, though. He grabbed hold of Edward's legs and pulled them up over his shoulders. Jacob reached around and pulled Edward's hands out of hair to pin them down on either side of Edward's hips. Happy with the access that the new position provided him with, Jacob leant down and breathed gently over Edward's very hard cock.

Edward's whimper was music to Jacob's ears. But he still wasn't at his goal. He moved even further down.

"Ah!" Edward cried out when Jacob pressed his tongue against Edward's hole. Jacob suppressed a grin and licked almost greedily, reveling in the sounds Edward was making. He felt Edward's hands twitching under his own from where he had them pinned to the bed. Jacob released Edward's arms and brought his own hands up to curl around Edward's thighs, effectively holding him in place. Edward's hands immediately returned to Jacob's hair in a tight grip that made Jacob moan.

Edward let out a loud shout at the vibrations against his hole and attempted to push his hips downward but Jacob's grip on his thighs was firm and he barely budged.

"Jake, please…" Edward gasped. Jacob released one thigh but only so he could press a finger into Edward as he continued to lick at the skin. " _Yes_ ," Edward hissed, using the added leverage of his one free thigh to push down further on the finger. Jacob quickly added another one, pressing against his walls and searching. He knew he had found the right spot when Edward's body bowed off the bed.

" _Shit_ , Jake. That's enough. Please, just…" There was another tug at Jacob's hair and he got the idea. He had the feeling that neither of them was going to last very long.

Jacob crawled up Edward's body and positioned his cock at his entrance. Before he pushed in, though, he looked down into Edward's eyes. Jacob wanted to memorize this moment, have it ingrained in his mind forever.

"Make love to me, Jake," Edward said softly. Driven by both the Imprint and his own desire, Jacob obeyed.

"I love you so much," he said as he fully sheathed his cock inside of Edward's heat.

"I love you too," Edward rasped, tightening the grip that he still had on Jacob's hair. "Now take me, alpha."

Jacob let out a low growl as he pulled back and slammed in again roughly. He set a hard pace for a few minutes, refusing to break eye contact with Edward. But then as Jacob stared intently into Edward's topaz eyes, a thought occurred to him. He started to slow down as he leant in for a soft kiss, before stopping his hips' movement completely. Edward squirmed impatiently.

"Jake," he whined, "please don't stop."

"Bite me, Edward," he said, lips brushing against Edward's as he spoke. Edward stiffened underneath him, as Jacob suspected he would. "It's going to be okay," he soothed. "We know there's no danger in it, now. Please, Edward. I want to feel what it's like." He pulled back to look at Edward's face. His husband stared up at him for a few moments before giving a small nod.

"Alright," Edward said. One of the hands that was buried in Jacob's hair slid down to the back of his neck, and Edward pulled Jacob's head close and to the side as he lined his lips up with Jacob's throat. Jacob could feel his heart beating wildly in his chest. Never in a million years had he thought he would _ask_ a vampire to bite him, but here they were.

"If I start losing control or take too much blood, I order you to stop me by any means necessary." Jacob pouted slightly but understood Edward's need for that safety precaution.

"I will," he promised. He felt Edward's cool tongue against his skin, and then the gentle scrape of his teeth. Jacob unconsciously started to grind his hips. The hand clutching the back of his neck tightened slightly, holding him still. A beat of silence and then he felt it.

As a shifter, Jacob had thought many times on what it might feel like to get bit by a vampire. He had imagined searing pain and hot fire in his veins from the venom. But any pain he might have felt immediately transformed into almost unbearable pleasure. And when Edward began to drink from him, Jacob saw stars.

 _'You taste so good,'_ Edward's voice said in his head.

Jacob wasn't sure why those words turned him on so much. But they did.

 _'I'm close, Jake.'_

 _'Me too.'_

Jacob wound his arms around Edward's waist and held him close as he gently sped up his thrusts. The suction on his neck increased in response, and the vibrations from Edward's moans made Jacob shiver pleasantly. He felt the warm wetness of Edward's release between them. The tightening of Edward's muscles around Jacob's cock made his vision white and he came with cry. And promptly blacked out.

* * *

When Jacob came to, he found himself under the covers of their bed and cradled in Edward's arms. And his neck was positively throbbing.

"Welcome back," Edward said softly, pressing a kiss to the back of Jacob's neck.

"Hey," he replied, turning in Edward's arms to face him.

"How do you feel?" Jacob could see the concern on Edward's face. Edward was clearly worried he had drunk too much.

"A little sore, but mostly good." Jacob smiled to show that he was okay, and pressed a kiss to Edward's lips. "How about you?"

"I can't even describe it," Edward said, shaking his head. "It feels like my insides are…buzzing."

"Not going to lie. That sounds…really weird."

Edward chuckled. "It _is_ really weird. But it's a good weird. It's how I imagine what being drunk might feel like."

"We are definitely doing that again."

"Agreed. Here," Edward turned and picked something up from the nightstand. When he turned back around Jacob saw Edward was holding a plate of food and a cup of juice. "You lost a lot of blood. I figured you should eat something."

"How long was I out for?" Jacob had had the impression that he had only blacked out for a few moments.

"About an hour," Edward said, looking a little guilty. "Between the sex and the blood loss I'm not that surprised."

"Thank you," Jacob said, taking the plate. Now that he had food in front of him, he realized just how hungry he really was. He practically inhaled the sandwich and the juice.

"I got a call from Alice while you were asleep. We need to head over to the house soon. People want answers for what happened back at the clearing."

Jacob grimaced. "We can't exactly tell all. Seneca clearly wants to keep much of who the Custos are under wraps."

"Doesn't mean we can't give an at least somewhat vague explanation for why they showed up and why they chose to help us."

"I suppose. Did she say anything about Sam?" Edward gave a small smile.

"Nobody has seen him or Piero since we left the clearing. Actually, it seems all the Imprinted couples have secluded themselves along the border for a while. Can't say I blame them." He moved closer to Jacob, winding an arm around his waist. "We almost lost you all to Aro. Once those protective instincts kick in it's difficult to interact with anyone other than your wolf for a while."

Jacob snuggled into his husband's embrace. "I'm so relieved that it's all over."

Edward pressed a small kiss to the top of Jacob's head. "Me too, pup."

By the time the two of them arrived at the Cullens' house, it was dark outside. Jacob, now in wolf form, was mentally drained and just wanted to dive back into the covers of their bed at the cottage.

 _'All victories aside, I'm looking forward to this day being over.'_ He huffed, feeling particularly grumpy.

"Edward! Jake!" Bella's voice rang out as they approached the house. She came running towards them in a flash of movement, a wide grin on her face. "We survived!" she cheered, doing a dorky victory dance. Jacob snorted. Even as a vampire her coordination left much to be desired. "Come on inside. Everyone's already here," she said excitedly before running back into the house.

Jacob shifted into human form and accepted the pants that Edward handed to him. Jacob noticed with a little amusement and a little more fondness that Edward had picked the pants Jacob had worn for the wedding.

When Jacob and Edward entered the house, they were greeted with cheers and whistles. Jacob thought that Carlisle looked particularly happy. The man was practically beaming at Edward. Jacob knew Carlisle had been the one who was most concerned about the confrontation with the Volturi leading to violence.

Jacob took in the sight of his pack sitting comfortably in a house full of vampires, and smiled broadly. He thought of the Custos, and what Seneca's Imprint on Kai had started for Seneca's pack and Kai's coven. For a while, Jacob had been worried that his Imprint on Edward was the worst thing that had happened to the pack and La Push as a whole. The threat that the Volturi posed had almost dwarfed the staggering affection and loyalty he felt for Edward. But now, after having seen the way the Custos operated, how happy Seneca and Kai seemed; Jacob was only further convinced that the Imprint was the _best_ thing that could have happened to him.

"Jake," Sam approached him with a small smile, Piero following behind.

"You had me worried for a moment there, you two," he told them, clapping a hand on Sam's shoulder.

"It almost looked like the end," Sam agreed, his eyes darting to where Piero now stood next to him. "But, in a way it still kind of is."

Jacob tilted his head in confusion. "What are you talking about, Sam?"

"After Seneca and Kai left your cottage, they came to talk to me and Piero." As Sam spoke, he reached into the pocket of his jeans and pulled out a scrap of paper. "They said they could tell that our Imprint had a rough start, and suggested that perhaps we might want to continue our relationship in a more…removed setting." He handed the paper over to Jacob, who took it with a questioning glance. When he saw what was written on it, his eyes widened.

 _74.5480 N, 97.5364 W_

"Sam, are these… _coordinates?_ "

"Yeah, I think they realized that we're not quite…fitting here." Piero tensed at Sam's words. Sam quickly snatched up his hand and held it tightly.

"You're leaving?" With all the secrecy, Jacob had never imagined that the Custos would give away their location. Sam once again glanced over at Piero, who looked pained.

"It's necessary," Sam said. "The way everything happened…we just can't stay here. I haven't felt like I belong in La Push for a while now." At those words, Piero ripped his hand away and stormed off. Sam watched him go with a sad expression on his face.

"What's going on Sam?" Sam sighed and turned back to Jacob.

"Being here isn't good for us. There's too much of Emily still in La Push. Ever since her murder, I haven't really felt like a Quileute wolf anymore; even less so after the new Imprint." Sam scratched at the back of his head, almost as if he was ashamed to even suggest he was anything other than one of the pack. "This place represents everything I was with her, and everything we were supposed to be together." He huffed a humorless laugh. "I'm sure you've noticed I haven't quite been myself since the new Imprint. There's a reason for that." He looked in the direction Piero had left, and Jacob could tell that his heart was aching. "And Piero…being around us, you, all the other covens who came; it's been messing with his head. He looks at all of us and only sees the damage he's caused on behalf of the Volturi. The Custos are an attractive community to him because he never did anything to hurt them. Hell, he never even knew they existed until today." Sam turned his gaze back to Jacob, though Jacob could see the distant look in his eyes. "I'm not suggesting that Seneca knew all of that. But she sensed that we don't belong here." Sam's shoulders slumped. Jacob couldn't stand to see his former alpha looking so defeated.

"If you don't feel like you belong here then you should go," he said gently. "You won't feel completely at ease until he does. And if he doesn't feel at ease here then you need to find the place where he does." Sam stood a little taller at Jacob's words, and Jacob smiled. "You are always welcome here, Sam. I won't begrudge you your need to make your Imprint happy."

Sam let out a heavy sigh, as if relieved. "Thanks, Jake." With that, Sam walked off to find his Imprint.

Jacob took the chance to really look at his pack with their Imprints. Seth and Lucas were sitting on the floor with Emmett, the three of them playing video games and verbally abusing the characters on the screen. Luna was braiding sections of Leah's hair and even though Leah looked put out by the situation, she was still leaning back into Luna, looking more relaxed than Jacob had seen her in a long time. Paul and Willow were nowhere to be seen, and Jacob stopped that train of thought quickly because the thought of Paul like that was frankly gross.

Jacob had no idea where the pack would go from here. If it had been up to him there would be no need for them to protect La Push in the first place. But he knew that outside threats still existed, vampires who were less friendly than those seated around him. Still, as he looked over to Edward, who was conversing with Carlisle, Jacob felt a deep sense of calm and peace. Whatever they faced, they would face together. In that moment, Edward turned to look at him with a warm smile on his face.

 _'Forever_ ,' his voice murmured in Jacob's mind. Jacob smiled back.

 _'Forever.'_


End file.
